Kokoro

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gyellow maize flour
• 600 mlboiling water
• 100 gsugar
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1onion, blended to a paste, optional
• 1/2 teaspoonground chilli, optional

To fry

• neutral oil, for deep frying

Equipment

• a heavy pot for frying
• a slotted spoon

Directions

1. Put the maize flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar and the salt to it. Mix them through the dry flour. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Pour it over the flour gradually.
2. Stir hard with a wooden spoon as you pour. The mixture will come together into a stiff dough. Let it cool until you can handle it. Turn it out onto a work surface. Knead it hard for about eight minutes. Wet your hands if the dough sticks. Add a splash of boiling water if it cracks.
3. Add more flour if it is too wet to handle. Shaping them takes some practice. Break off a piece the size of a walnut. Roll it into a long thin rope on the surface. Aim for about the thickness of a pencil.
4. Cut it into lengths of about fifteen centimetres. Keep the shaped pieces under a cloth. Frying them needs moderate heat and patience.
5. Pour oil into a deep pot to about eight centimetres. Never fill a pot more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to only about 160C. A hot pan browns them before they dry out inside.
6. Fry six or seven of them at a time. Fry them slowly for about eight minutes. Turn them occasionally as they colour. They should turn a deep golden brown. Break one open to test the first batch. The inside must be dry, not soft. Lift them out onto a wire rack. Let them drain and cool completely.
7. Let the oil recover between batches. Storing the sticks is easy enough. Cool them completely before storing. Put them in an airtight jar or a bag. They keep for two or three weeks.

Technique

• Kokoro is particularly associated with south-western Nigeria and with Yoruba markets.
• Its long shelf life is part of why it is sold to travellers at motor parks and bus stops.

Substitutions

• White maize flour can be used and gives a paler stick.
• Adding a little cassava flour makes them slightly lighter.

Variations

• A savoury version leaves out most of the sugar and adds more onion and chilli.
• Some makers coil them into rings rather than sticks.
• A thicker version is softer inside and does not keep as long.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kokoro?

Kokoro is a snack from Nigeria: crunchy fried sticks of maize flour and sugar, sold in twisted plastic bags.

How long does Kokoro take to make?

Kokoro takes 30 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 40 sticks. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kokoro?

Yes, within limits. White maize flour can be used and gives a paler stick. Adding a little cassava flour makes them slightly lighter.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kokoro?

Pour oil into a deep pot to about eight centimetres. Never fill a pot more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to only about 160C. A hot pan browns them before they dry out inside.