Koki: traditional recipe, origin and ingredients

Where does Koki come from?

Koki is a cake of blended black-eyed peas enriched with red palm oil and steamed in banana leaves. Orange, soft and gently spicy, it is eaten all over Cameroon, from the West to the coast, at breakfast as much as at lunch.

Other signature dishes of the West region: Pounded taro with yellow soup, Kondrè, Nkui with corn fufu, Ndjapche, Mashed potatoes & beans.

What are the ingredients for Koki?

For 6 people:

• Peeled black-eyed peas
• Red palm oil
• Banana leaves
• Dried chili

How do you make Koki? Step-by-step recipe

1. Soak the peeled black-eyed peas for 2 h and rinse off any remaining skins.
2. Blend with the chili and a little water into a smooth, thick batter.
3. Warm the palm oil and beat it into the batter with salt.
4. Pour into banana leaves, fold and tie.
5. Steam for 1 h 30 until firm. Serve with ripe plantain.

Tips for a perfect Koki

• Remove every bean skin: the koki will be smoother.
• Beat the warm palm oil into the batter to lighten it.
• Allow a good hour and a half of steaming: koki should be firm.

What to serve with Koki

Traditionally it is served with boiled ripe plantain, cocoyam or cassava. It is a dish for breakfast, market days and everyday meals.

Where to buy Koki ingredients in Europe and North America

Outside Cameroon, the dry and frozen ingredients for Koki are often hard to find. Our kit gathers them, checked and packed in Douala, and delivers them across Europe, the UK, the US and Canada, including Paris, Brussels, London, Montreal.

Frequently asked questions