Entree: Cameroon – National Cuisine – Okok (A dense Cameroonian steamed pudding of grated cocoyam and cocoyam leaves mixed with palm oil and smoked fish)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 50 min

Total 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

Cocoyam (taro) corm, peeled and grated — 900 g (estimated edible portion: 900 g)
Cocoyam (taro) leaves, finely chopped — 150 g
Smoked mackerel, deboned and flaked — 280 g edible fish (estimated edible portion: 280 g)
Onion, finely chopped — 70 g (estimated edible weight for 1 small onion)
Garlic, minced — 6 g (estimated edible weight for 2 cloves)
Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped — 15 g (estimated edible weight; use 1–2 peppers to taste)
Red palm oil — 60 ml (approximately 55 g)
Toasted ground crayfish — 30 ml (approximately 18 g; optional)
Ground black pepper — 5 g
Salt — 5 g, adjust to taste
Fresh lime juice — 15 ml (approximately 15 g)
Banana leaves or aluminum foil for wrapping — amount as needed
Boiled plantain — amount as needed, served alongside

Instructions

1. Peel and rinse the cocoyam corms, then grate finely. Squeeze lightly to remove some excess liquid while retaining enough moisture for binding.
2. Combine the grated cocoyam with the chopped cocoyam leaves, flaked smoked mackerel, onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper.
3. Mix in the red palm oil, ground crayfish if using, black pepper, salt, and lime juice until evenly combined.
4. Briefly pass banana leaves over a low flame to soften, or use lightly oiled aluminum foil. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and wrap each securely.
5. Set the parcels in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover, and steam for 40–50 minutes, until set and firm. Alternatively, place them in a covered pot with a little water beneath the parcels and steam over low heat.
6. Carefully unwrap and serve hot with boiled plantain.