Whether it's deep fried in vegetable oil or infused with the rich flavour of palm oil, homemade akara is definitely a top contender for what to eat on Saturday morning in many Nigerians families. 

 

The ingredients for akara are pretty standard i.e blended beans (with minimal water) combined with chopped onions and pepper. But, how do you get that fluffy, road-side,  Iya Monsurat alakara texture? The answer is simple- incorporating air! It sounds technical but it's super easy. 

 

 

 Akinkuotu Funmi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Combine your beans, onions and pepper in a large bowl. Use a turning stick to turn the mixture in a brisk motion for a few minutes. Be sure to go in only one direction e.g. if you decide to go clockwise, stick to clockwise. This ensures maximum air gets in the mixture. You'll also notice that the volume of your mixture is increasing (expanding). It's now less heavy than when you started incorporating air and this implies your end result will be lightweight too!

 

Go ahead and fry. Drain the oil. Pick up a piece and try it. You'll then taste the definition of melt in your mouth akara. Yum!

 

*Actually akara doesn't melt in your mouth per se but you will take your taste buds on an exotic journey and that...that's just great.

 

Share this post with a friend who loves akara. Have you tried any of our tips? We would love to hear your results, please leave us a comment