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Awara
Awara: Hausa fried soybean curd with yaji spice and pepper sauce
Evening hawkers in Kano, Zaria and Kaduna fry awara in wide pans of oil and sell it in paper with a sprinkle of yaji, the peanut-chilli suya spice: little cubes of homemade soybean curd that puff and turn golden outside and stay soft and tofu-like inside. It came to the North with soybean farming and is now a cheap, high-protein street snack, especially after maghrib prayers. Contains soy and peanut (in the yaji). The mistake is skipping the long boil: raw soy milk must simmer for a good 15 minutes to be digestible and taste sweet, not beany. Chef's tip: press the curd under a heavy pan for at least 20 minutes; firm awara cuts cleanly and doesn't spit in the oil.
- Total time
- 560 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the curd
- 9 oz dried soybeanssoaked overnight in plenty of water
- 6 ¼ cups water
- ¼ cup lemon juiceor 4 tbsp white vinegar mixed with 100 ml water
- ½ tsp salt
To fry and serve
- 2 cups vegetable oilfor frying
- 2 tbsp yaji (suya spice)contains peanut
- ½ red onionthinly sliced
- 4 tbsp fried pepper sauce (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz dried soybeans overnight; they should double in size. Drain, rub off the loose skins and rinse.
480 minStep 2: Blend the beans with 750 ml of 3 ¼ cups water in two batches until very smooth.
5 minStep 3: Pour into a muslin or nut-milk bag set over a large pot. Squeeze out all the milk, then mix the pulp in the bag with the rest of 3 ¼ cups water and squeeze again.
5 minStep 4: Bring the soy milk to the boil over a medium heat, stirring often so it doesn't catch or boil over. Simmer for 15 minutes; it should smell sweet and nutty.
15 minStep 5: Take off the heat, wait 2 minutes, then stir in ¼ cup lemon juice a spoonful at a time. Leave for 10 minutes until it separates into white curds and clear, yellowish whey. Add a little more acid if the whey is still milky.
10 minStep 6: Ladle the curds into a cloth-lined sieve, stir in ½ tsp salt, fold the cloth over and press under a heavy pan for 20–25 minutes, until firm.
25 minStep 7: Unwrap and cut into 3 cm cubes.
Step 8: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F and fry the cubes in batches for 4–5 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
15 minStep 9: Drain, toss with 2 tbsp yaji (suya spice) and ½ red onion, and serve hot with 4 tbsp fried pepper sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does awara take?
- About 560 minutes in total: 500 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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