Ikokore or Ifokore is a savory yam porridge native to the Ijebu people of Southwest Nigeria. This food is been prepared at homes, ceremonies such as naming, coronation, traditional weddings, burial ceremonies, and other events. This sumptuous delicacy has some similarities with Ekpang Nkukwo of the Efik people of Cross River State; the ingredients and method of preparation are almost the same. The main ingredient is water yam. Water yam is a species of yam; it is very hairy, and when cut, the surface is very slimy. The water yam is grated and cooked in a very rich and delicious pepper and fish stock until it cooks and forms lumps.
To cook this meal, you will need water yam, smoked fish, locust bean, crayfish, red bell pepper, habanero pepper, beef, palm oil, seasoning, onions and salt.
Peel the water yam, grate with a grater and then set aside. Blend the red bell pepper and habanero pepper and set it aside. Parboil the beef with onions, seasoning cubes and salt. Set aside the beef stock as it will be used in the cooking. Get your smoked fish clean and tear into bite-sized pieces.
Heat up one or two cooking spoons of palm oil, add the blended pepper and sprinkle in stock cubes. Fry till it thickens further and bubbly dots form on the surface. Add a big serving of the beef stock set aside and add all the chunks of the smoked fish and beef. Then, allow the boiling of the contents. Ensure that it boils properly as if you are trying to make stew. Taste it after it boils, add a pinch of salt (a little salt because the beef stock already has salt). While the contents of the pot cooks, season the grated water yam with a little salt. Make sure you don’t add too much salt because of its earlier presence in the contents. With the water yam in the right proportion, add it to the bubbling pot in very big lump/balls after taking down the heat. Allow cooking for about 10 minutes, then stir carefully with a wooden spoon so as to break the lumps. When the lumpy bits have thickened and the stock is now of a creamy consistency, reintroduce the fish that you sieved out back to the pot and stir carefully. Add in ground crayfish and stir carefully again. Let it cook for about a couple of minutes. Thereafter, your Ikokore is done and ready to be served.
Enjoy Ikokore with your favorite chilled drink and thank me later. Bon appetite!