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Awara, Soya Bean Tofu, Beske

Awara (Nigerian Tofu, Wara, Beske)

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Fresh Awara is soft and almost white in colour. It is high in protein and iron but low in fat and also has a low-calorie count.
Prep Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Condiment, Snack
Cuisine Nigerian, Northern Nigeria, world
Servings 4

Equipment

  • large bowls
  • Chiffon cloth (Cheese cloth)**
  • Pot
  • Stirring spoon
  • Scooping spoon
  • Sieve
  • Mold (optional)
  • Weight
  • Chopping board or tray
  • Knife
  • Storage container

Ingredients
  

  • Soya beans
  • Lemon juice
  • Water

Instructions
 

  • Pick through soya beans to remove any grit and dirt. Wash several times in clean water to remove sand.
  • Place in a large bowl and add cover with water. It will eventually double in size so make sure there's enough water to keep the beans under water.
  • Leave to soak for at least 3 hours to overnight.
  • Strain, rinse a few times. Remove any bad soya beans (red or black).
  • Using a blender puree the beans as finely as you can.
  • Pour into a large bowl and add some water to the beans paste, stir very well.
  • Dissolve your coagulant of choice in about 1 cup of water, and set aside.
  • Place a sieve lined with chiffon cloth over a pot, pour in the soya bean milk and strain, squeezing out as much milk as possible from the cloth. You can add more water to the bean chaff and sieve again.
  • Place the milk in a large pot (the milk will rise and foam) over high heat, and cook until you see steam and bubbles. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
  • Cook for 5-10 minutes to remove the raw soy taste (at this point it is ready to strain and drink as soy milk).
  • Sprinkle or stir in your diluted lemon juice on the milk, the milk will start bubbling up.
  • Awara is ready when the curd separates from the whey (water) and the whey is clear and not cloudy.
  • Wet your chiffon cloth, and line your mold or sieve with the cloth.
  • Scoop the Awara into the cloth, cover or tie up tightly and place weights on top to squeeze out the water.
  • Leave for at least 20 minutes (the longer you leave it, the firmer and stronger the Awara).
  • Slice Awara and place in a bowl of salted water. This will remove the taste of lemon, vinegar or other acids.
  • Your Awara is ready.

Notes

  • If there are bubbles in the soaking water, it's likely you have oversoaked it. Rinse out immediately and grind.
  • If soaking overnight, change the water before going to bed.
  • If you are grinding with your household blender, the longer you soak the beans, the softer it becomes and the easier it is for the blender to grind it well.
  • You can take boiling soymilk off the heat and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The temperature will drop to 70 to 80 deg. C (158-176 deg. F).  This step is important, as the coagulation of the soybean proteins into curds (Awara) depends on temperature.  If the soymilk is too hot, the curds will be small in size and the Awara will crumble easily, if the soymilk is too cold, the Awara produced will be small.
Keyword Awara Tofu