AKARA (BEAN BALL/CAKE)- PREPARATION

Akara is a popular item of food in Nigeria. Being extremely nutritious/delicious, it is Nigerian kind of buns/puff and so, relished by all. It can be eaten alone, with bread, garri(tapioca), ogi/akamu(pap), or eko/agidi. Akara is simple to make, join me in our food ‘lab’(the kitchen) for this wonderful chop.

Ingredients:

• Beans (2 milk cups)
• Vegetable oil
• Fresh pepper and onions
• Salt to taste

Kitchen Tools Needed:

• Blender or Mill
• Mixing bowl and wooden spatula or mortar and pestle
• Table spoon or Soup spoon
• Fork or tester spoke

Step 1: Soak the beans for about 30 minutes to an hour, wash and peel its coat/jacket off. Wash the fresh pepper, peel off the onion old jacket and wash. Pour the peeled beans into the Blender, add part of the pepper, slice the rest and set aside. Add part of the onion, slice the rest and set aside. However, I prefer blending without the pepper and onion. Now, blend to a smooth paste. NB: do not add too much water, the paste/puree shouldn’t be watery. You may choose to ground the beans at the Mill, if you can’t guarantee to blend it to a thick paste.

 Step 2: Turn on your Burner, place an empty dry pot on it. Add the vegetable oil. Be sure the pot is dried of any water drop before adding the vegetable oil. Allow the oil to bleach (but not to over-bleach) while you move on to step 3.

Step 3: Pour the bean paste into the Mortar or Mixing Bowl( the former is preferable), start turning the content continuously in a circular motion for about 30-40 minutes or till the paste is whiter and smooth. Add the salt(be careful not to add excess salt, akara easily gets salty). Add the sliced pepper and onion(do not pound if you are using the Mortar, gently mix them well). Taste to be sure the salt is ok.

 

Step 4: Using Spoon of any size depending on the size of akara you want, scoop a spoonful of the bean mixture into the already bleached oil, do this until there is no more space to add another spoonful. Lower the Burner heat, you need to manage the heat properly, it shouldn’t be too high or too low. If too high, it will not only burn the akara, the akara will taste raw/uncooked. If too low, the akara will soak in more oil than necessary.

  

Step 5: Using the Fork or the Tester Spoke, break off the bridges between one akara and another. Once the other side of the bobbed akara has turned golden brown, use the Fork or Tester Spoke to flip the akara so that the unburned side will be under into the burning oil. Be careful not to burn the akara, akara is more appetizing in its golden brown color. Check to see if the flipped side has turned brown. Set down the pot and pick out each akara from the oil into a sieve padded with paper(the paper will soak in excess oil off the akara or you may choose not to line the sieve.

 Here… savour your mouth-watering akara! 

 

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