Koki

Name: Koki
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Ingredients: 400 g black-eyed peas (dried), dried, soaked overnight and skinned; 120 ml red palm oil; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 2 fresh red chilli, stemmed; 100 g spinach, shredded (optional); 1½ tsp salt; 250 ml water; 8 sheets banana leaves

Vegetarian

Skinned black-eyed peas blended with red palm oil, onion and chilli, wrapped in leaves and steamed into a soft, savoury orange pudding.

Koki is a Cameroonian main course, ready in about 2 hours 50 minutes and made with black-eyed peas (dried) and red palm oil. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 40 min
Cook: 2 h
Rest: 10 min
Total: 2 h 50 min
Serves: 6
Level: Intermediate
Calories: 393

Plus overnight soaking of the beans.

Ingredients

6 servings

400 g Black-eyed peas (dried) (opens in a new tab), dried, soaked overnight and skinned
120 ml Red palm oil (opens in a new tab)
1 (110 g) Onion (opens in a new tab), roughly chopped
2 (12 g) Fresh red chilli (opens in a new tab), stemmedUse a scotch bonnet for more heat.
100 g Spinach (opens in a new tab), shredded (optional)Stands in for the cocoyam or other leaves often folded in.
1½ tsp (9 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
250 ml Water (opens in a new tab)Warm; add gradually.
8 sheets (240 g) Banana leaves (opens in a new tab)For wrapping; not eaten. Foil works too.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Rub the soaked beans between your palms in plenty of water so the skins float off; skim them away and repeat until the beans are mostly skinless.
- 20 min
2
Step 2
Blend the beans with the onion (opens in a new tab), chilli and enough water to make a smooth, thick batter that falls slowly from a spoon.
- 5 min
- Blender (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Warm the palm oil (opens in a new tab) just until liquid, then beat it into the batter with the salt and the spinach (opens in a new tab) until evenly orange.
- 5 min
- low heat
4
Step 4
Soften the banana leaves (opens in a new tab) over a flame or in hot water. Spoon the batter onto them, fold into tight parcels and tie or tuck the ends.
- 10 min
5
Step 5
Steam the parcels over simmering water, topping up the water as needed, until firm and set all the way through. Rest 10 minutes before unwrapping.
- 120 min
- medium-low heat
- Steamer (opens in a new tab)
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)

About this dish

Origin: Cameroon · Well documentedClose relatives such as Nigerian moi moi are made with similar beans; koki is distinguished by its red palm oil.More food from Cameroon
Dish: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method: Steamed, Blended
Taste: savoury, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with: Black-eyed peas (dried) · Red palm oil · Onion · Fresh red chilli · Banana leaves
Techniques: Simmering · Steaming · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

393 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 148 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 16%
Carbohydrate 42%
Fat 43%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	393 kcal	265 kcal
Protein	15.9 g	10.7 g
Carbohydrate	41.9 g	28.2 g
Net carbohydrate	34.5 g	23.3 g
Sugars	5.5 g	3.7 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	7.4 g	5 g
Fat	19.1 g	12.9 g
Saturated fat	9.2 g	6.2 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	595 mg	401 mg
Salt equivalent	1.5 g	1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 775 mg
Calcium: 82 mg
Iron: 5.6 mg
Magnesium: 126 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 3 µg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Vitamin D: —
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 426 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: spinach.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): banana leaves.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A knife pushed into the centre should come out clean when koki is done.

Common mistakes

Leaving too much skin on the beans gives a grey, gritty koki.

Serve with

Serve with boiled ripe plantains, cassava or sweet potatoes.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated in its wrapping; freezes well.

Reheating

Re-steam for 15 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Black-eyed peas (dried), dried, soaked overnight and skinned400 g
Fresh red chilli, stemmed2 piece · 12 g
Spinach, shredded (optional)100 g
Banana leaves8 sheet · 0 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

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