Ikokore is a delicacy traditionally linked to the Ijebu people from Ogun state, Nigeria and consumed in many of the South Western states of Nigeria. It is a very tasty dish made from grated Water Yam (Dioscorea alata), specie quite different from the regular Yam (Discorea rotundata). It has got good fiber and mineral content and when prepared with palm oil and other ingredients like dried shrimps, locust beans, vegetables, the nutritional value increases greatly. Some people enhance the flavor by adding smoked or roasted fish.
The dish is great because it is easy to consume by every member of the family. After 6 months, this is a meal that you can give to your infant and it would also work well with toddlers. It is important to be careful with bones from fish which can be very dangerous in food for children.
If you are strapped for cash and you want to make a nutritious meal, this is a very affordable meal. Your meals do not have to be spotting big portion sizes of chicken, fish and other proteins before you can enjoy a good meal. Blended shrimps (commonly called crayfish) and locust beans can boost the protein profile of the meal as well. You can also add leafy vegetables to increase the mineral and vitamin content of the food.
Many Ikokore recipes on the internet do not include leafy vegetables but you can create your own meals to suit your needs. You can adapt some recipes paying attention to the processing and cooking of each ingredient you add to get maximum value of the nutrients they contain. Here is a recipe you can work with: http://www.sisiyemmie.com/2014/04/recipe-how-to-cook-ikokore-popular.html
The real effort here is grating the water yam but it would take just a few minutes, of course this is dependent on the size of your family.
It does not matter what country, state or tribe you are from, you can try Ikokore and enjoy it. It would add to the diversity of your meals. Bon appetit.
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