Keke fieye is a very delicious Ijaw recipe, although this is the first time I am eating this, it sure tastes delicious.
Keke Fieye is actually made with unripe plantain, but you can add a little beans if you don’t have enough plantain, although, most people prefer a combination of plantain and beans for this popular ijaw food.
If you are either dating or married to an Ijaw man you will find this article interesting, you will learn how to make keke fieye as well as other popular River/Bayelsa state foods.
Over the past few weeks I have been talking about River state foods, I grew up in river state Nigeria and have seen and tasted most of the foods made and eaten in this part of Nigeria. This recipe is popular in both River state and beyelsa state of Nigeria. The reason is that the Ijaw people of Nigeria are a major parts of both Bayelsa and River state.
This is just one of the many popular ijaw foods, actually it is the first ijaw recipe on this site, a lot more will definitely follow.
The preparation process for keke fieye (Ijaw recipe) is a little similar to the preparation of porridge plantain, you would think it is porridge plantain if the snail is taken away.
Below are the ingredients that is required for making keke fieye, you can decrease or increase the quantity of ingredient, it all depends on the number of persons that you are looking to feed.
8 – 10 Unripe plantains
Ground Crayfish (about a cup)
Red Pepper (to taste)
Maggi (2 to 3 cubes)
Palm Oil (about 15cl)
Ground Uziza Seeds (Teaspoon)
Dried Fish
Unshelled Snails
Salt
Scent Leaves (a handful)
Beans (a cup or more)
How To Make Keke Fieye (Ijaw Food)
Peel off the green back of the unripe plantain and slice to tiny bits, A kitchen knife is best used for the slicing of unripe plantain. Ground the crayfish and Uziza seed, also wash the dry fish with hot water and get ready to commence with the main cooking.
Like I said initially, the snails that are used for making keke fieye is not shelled, you just soak for about 15 minutes in salt water, and the soaking helps to remove the slimy fluid. Wash the snail thoroughly before breaking the bottom. The bottom of the snails are broken, although you don’t break deeper so you do not lose the green water and you only break when you are about to add them to the food.
You break the bottom of the snails so the green water would flow into the food while it is cooking. The green water of the snail is a very important part of the food.
Set your cooking pot on the fire, add a cup of water or two, add the washed dry fish, crayfish, red(palm) oil, pepper and maggi. Allow to boil before adding the sliced unripe plantain.
If you are cooking keke fieye with beans you would need to start cooking with the beans, you cook until the beans is 80 percent before adding the plantain and then crayfish, dried fish etc.
Go ahead and cook till the plantain and the beans is almost soft enough for consumption but when the water is not dried (you can add more water), taste for salt and maggi, add more if they are not enough. Then you can go ahead and add the snails.
Cover and cook the for ten minutes before adding the sliced scent leaves, the scent leaves should cook for about five minutes before you serve the food. You can go ahead and serve hot or cold
Keke fieye, the ijaw food can also be served with a soft drink of choice.
