Awara is soya bean cake. It’s a much loved delicacy in Kwara State. People usually buy it in the mornings and late afternoons. It’s a healthy snack, one that would leave the consumer full for very long. Awara is a very good source of protein. It can be enjoyed alone but it can also be eaten with garri or any other carbohydrate food.
Ingredients
Soya beans
Lime or alum
Pepper
Onions
Salt
Groundnut oil
How to Prepare
Soak the raw soya beans in water for a couple of hours. Drain the water and then grind the wet soya beans using a commercial grinding machine or a blender. The paste should be very smooth; if you intend using a blender, you may need to soak the soya beans overnight and blend several times with enough water to achieve a smooth consistency.
After grinding, place a cheese cloth over a large bowl and strain the soya beans. (A cheese cloth is the material used in straining grinded corn used in making pap.) The milk will remain in the bowl while the chaff will be in the cheese cloth after straining. Discard the chaff.
Pour the soy milk into a pot and boil on medium heat for about 45 minutes. While boiling, stir frequently as this milk has the tendency to boil over. Dice onions and pepper and set aside for later use. Rinse the muslin or cloth sac and set aside for later use too.
When 45 minutes is up, reduce the heat. Add lime juice or a little alum to the pot of soy milk. Please do not stir. You will notice that the milk will begin to separate into clear liquid and large curds. Pour the diced pepper and onions into the pot. Add salt. Allow to boil for about 5 to 10 more minutes. This will ensure that the liquid is well separated from the curds. Turn off the heat and pour the content of the pot into the muslin or cloth sac. Tie the bag and put a heavy object on it.
Leave it for about 15 minutes to allow excess fluid to drain out of the bag. When the time is up, open the sac and bring out the solid block of soya bean cake. Cut into your own preferred size and fry in groundnut oil. Your awara is ready.
Sources
The Tasty Vegan Chef
9jaFoodie
Cookpad
Featured image source: Eskimi.com
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