How to make fluffy homemade akara (bean balls)
- Olori Tana
- Jul 22, 2021
- 2 min read
Someone has tagged me as an akara advocate. Haha! How did you find the beans-peeling hack I shared?
In this post, I have decided to guide you through the process of making fluffy homemade akara. You no longer have to be worried that you would end up with pankara. That is, pancake akara. 😂
The process for making fluffy akara is simple and straightforward and you don't need too many ingredients.
Let's get to it.
Ingredients
Beans
Pepper
Onions
Salt and seasoning powder
Crayfish (optional)
Process
After peeling and rinsing the beans, leave it in water to soak until it is soft. (I leave mine for up to one hour.) The reason for this is so that the beans will be soft and easy to blend.
Drain out the excess water and pour the beans inside the blender. Add the pepper and onions. Pour little quantity of water. The quantity of the water will be determined by the quantity of the beans.
Tip: put enough water to allow the blender blades mill the beans.
If you are using a mechanical mill, simply inform the operator that the beans is for akara. The experienced ones know what to do.
Whichever method you are using, the goal is to have a thick consistency. Unlike pudding for moi-moi, adding plenty water will yield a pankara result. Too little water will give you stone balls. You don't want that.
See the right consistency below.
Ensure that you blend the beans to a finely smooth texture.
Next, pour into a bowl and stir it with a wooden spoon. Yorubas call it omorogun. Stir until there is enough air in the pudding.
How to know if there's air in the pudding
Scoop a little quantity of the pudding and drop it inside a bowl or cup of water. It should float back to the surface as a whole just the way you dropped it in.
This "response" is evidence that there is enough air in the pudding and it has the right consistency.
The air in the pudding is what will help it to float in the oil when frying.
Process continued
Add the salt, seasoning (optional) and crayfish and mix till all ingredients are fully incorporated.
You can now begin to scoop in small, biteable sizes into the hot oil.
Fry on medium heat until both sides are golden brown. Scoop out onto a drainer and serve hot.
Pair with pap.
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