Conkies Author Taymer Mason. Reproduced from Caribbean Vegan. Recipe photographs by Cynthia Nelson
NORTHEAST CONKIES RECIPE COAST
Makes 16 conkies Ingredients
9 oz (260 g) finely grated white-fleshed sweet potato
2 tbsp almond essence or 1 tbsp almond extract
18 banana leaf sections cut 8-inch
1¾ cups (340 g) light brown sugar
1
(20 cm) or 18 pieces of foil paper lined
1 heaping tsp. salt
1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose
with wax paper
1 tbsp ground cassia or cinnamon
flour
3 cups (300 g) finely grated fresh
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups (200 g) fine corn flour or
coconut (requires roughly 1½ coconuts)
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
fine cornmeal
14 oz (400 g) finely grated Calabaza
1 cup (250 ml) non-dairy soy or
½ cup (120 g) vegan margarine
squash (West Indian Pumpkin)
almond milk
¼ cup (57 g) vegetable shortening
⁄3 cup (80 g) raisins, optional
www.foodanddrink-caribbean.com
Method: If using banana leaves, singe them by passing them over an open flame to make them more pliable. Put the coconut, squash, sweet potato, sugar, salt, cassia, cinnamon, nutmeg, non-dairy milk, almond essence, raisins, flour, and corn flour in a large bowl. Melt the margarine and shortening, add them to the bowl, and stir until thoroughly combined. Set up a steamer, or place about 20 pieces of the centre stalk from the banana leaves at the bottom of a large saucepan and barely cover them with water. Place about 1 ⁄3 to ½ cup (83 ml to 125 ml) of the coconut mixture on the ribbed side of a piece of banana leaf (or foil lined with wax paper). Fold along the length of the ribs, bringing the right side of the leaf over to cover the entire conkie mixture, and then folding the left side over in the same way. Fold the other two sides over to form a parcel and secure with kitchen twine. Steam the conkies for 40 minutes. Check the top conkie for doneness by opening the parcel and testing that the cornmeal is cooked. The conkie should be tender, with all the ingredients well cooked. Cool conkies a bit, then serve warm. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, where they will keep for as long as 3 days, or store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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