Koki Beans

Moist pudding-like treats made with coarsely ground black-eyed peas and spinach are great as a meal on their own or with boiled plantains!

Course Main, Snack

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Soaking Time 2

Total Time 4

Servings

Calories 647kcal

Author Imma

Of course, you can buy them already peeled. But if you want to peel your own, here's how to do it. Soak the beans for about 15 minutes, then pulse them in the blender or food processor to break them up (5-10 times or 10-15 seconds). Doing this in small batches works best.
In a large bowl, soak the beans with warm water for about 2 hours or up to 24 hours, covered with water, until fully hydrated.
Rub the black-eyed peas between your hands to take the skin off. The skins will float to the top. Pour the skins off into a colander. You may have to do this process several times to get most of the skins.
Most of the skin will come off. Sort through the remaining peas to remove all the skins. You can do this ahead of time and freeze them to save time.

Soak peeled beans in water for about an hour to overnight to completely hydrate them and facilitate blending.
Cut 6 pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the finished koki, and set aside.
Cut the banana leaves into rectangles, remove any ugly edges, submerge them in water to clean, drain, and pat them dry. Use parchment paper if banana leaves are not available.
Heat the leaves and wilt them over an open high flame to make them flexible.
Chop the onions and habanero, and set aside.
Lightly warm palm oil in a small skillet or saucepan for about a minute or two until completely melted.
In a food processor or blender, puree the beans, onions, and habanero pepper with a cup of water or more until it reaches the desired consistency. (Do a test with your fingers; it should feel just a little gritty.) You may have to do this in two batches.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl; add palm oil, spinach. Mix everything together, then, season to taste with Maggie and salt. Make sure you have used up all the water.
Place a scoop of koki bean mixture on a leaf (about 2 cups). Then quickly fold them together to form a little purse, and set aside while you repeat the process until all the kokis are assembled.
Line the bottom of a large stockpot with aluminum foil or the remaining leaves or stalks to create a steamer. Add enough water to steam.
Steam cook koki for about an hour and 30 minutes, adding water as necessary to prevent burning.
Remove and let them cool for about 10 minutes, then serve.

The red palm oil we use in African cooking is NOT the controversial palm oil used in commercial products. It adds a unique flavor and beautiful color, but feel free to replace it with a different vegetable oil if you can't get it. You can also reduce it by half for a less calorie-dense snack.
Feel free to use vegetable bouillon for a vegan version.
Try them with corn husks for a Latin America twist if you can't find banana leaves.
The time it takes doesn't include peeling the peas.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.