Cocoyam is cooked in all forms- fried, boiled, roasted and mashed in most parts of Africa. Mostly cooked as a side dish or one -pot meal. It is a starchy root vegetable that is enjoyed in most tropical countries and goes under various names -malanga is one of the common names, here, in the U.S. This starchy root with a hairy, kind of rough skin sometimes has a white or slightly pink interior. The pink ones are starchier and are really dry when cooked. The flavor is actually quite strong, earthy, deep, and sometimes leaves a slight itch in the back of your throat.
Here, it is grated mixed with spinach, smoked fish, red oil and other spices. It then wrapped in plantain leaves, steamed until cooked through. Somewhat like this black-eyed fritters –moin moin, but with cocoyam – Well known in Cameroon as kwacoco bible. A major staple enjoyed by the Bakweri tribe in the South West province. Why is the name linked to a bible? I don’t know …your guess is as good as mine.
I used a food processor to grate the cocoyam, it makes things easier – you may use a grater. If you are a perfectionist and want the best texture use a grater. If you have the spice country onions then by all means use it , It adds flavor a nutty flavor to the this dish. Increase the water or oil to make the cocoyam mixture moist enough, depending on the type of cocoyam used . Don’t go crazy with the water or oil 1/4 cup is good enough. By the way, use foil paper, parchment paper if you do not have plantain leaves or place in plantain leaves first and then completely wrap in foil paper, if you are not using a steamer. Serve warm.
