Did you know that the young leaves of the elephant ear plant, also called Indian Taro, are rich in vitamin C, thiamine, and niacin? Maybe that’s why this leaf forms the base of one of the best traditional dishes from my state.
Before I even get to the food itself, let me just say that there’s something deeply satisfying about growing your own ingredients. Watching them sprout, mature, and finally become part of a meal is beautiful. Plus, it definitely helps cut down the cost of running to the market every other day.
Today, my mom decided it was time to make that special traditional dish I mentioned earlier. She hasn’t made it in forever, so we headed to her farm to harvest the edible rootlike corms of the taro plant, along with some water yams and Irish potatoes. Normally, you can prepare the dish with just the water yam and taro corms, but since this season’s corms weren’t many, we used potatoes to make up the difference.
Now, let me be honest, the dish is exhausting to make. The process is tedious, and that’s exactly why people don’t cook it often. If you have many helping hands, you might manage it once a week. But traditionally, it’s a once-in-a-while delicacy. Despite the stress, it remains one of the best dishes where I come from.
To prepare this meal, you’ll need red palm oil, your preferred protein, seasoning, taro leaves, and of course, water.
First, peel the taro corms, water yam, and potatoes, then wash and grate them. I used a hand grater because it gives a better texture than blending.
what it looks like after grating
After grating, mix everything together thoroughly.
Next, add palm oil to the bottom of your pot, this helps prevent the food from burning too quickly. Then start cutting bits of the grated mixture into the chopped taro leaves and dropping them gently into the pot. This tying and wrapping process alone took us more than two hours. It sounds quick when written down, but trust me, your back will tell you a different story.
Once all the wrapped pieces are in the pot, add boiling water (never cold water; it scatters everything!) and place it on the fire.
My mom chose to cook ours with firewood because she’s a traditional woman at heart and swears that firewood adds a unique flavor you can’t get from a gas cooker.
After setting the pot on the fire, add your protein, seasoning, and salt to taste. We cooked a huge quantity, my mom plans to share it with practically an entire community. Typical her.
Let everything cook until the leaves turn a deep brown. Then your pot of Ekpang, that’s the local name, is ready to serve. I honestly have no idea what it’s called in English. 😂
final look
Reading this, it may sound like a meal that comes together in ten minutes. But in reality, depending on the quantity and the number of hands helping, it can take hours. Still, the final taste makes every minute worth it.
