Thought I Was Saving Time, But My Akara Had Other Plans
As someone who loves cooking and experimenting with recipes, I woke up one morning feeling like a kitchen genius. “Why not make Akara using bean flour instead of raw beans?” I thought. It sounded like a quick, smart hack to save time and still get that delicious breakfast treat. Ah, the optimism.
Wait, What’s Akara Again?
For my non-Nigerian foodies or anyone new to the Akara snack, it’s a deep-fried snack made from blended peeled beans mixed with onions, pepper, and seasonings. Golden brown on the outside, fluffy on the inside usually paired with pap (ogi), custard, or bread.
The traditional method is time consuming, mainly because of the peeling and blending process. Bean flour looked like the perfect shortcut.
Let’s Dive Into the Process
I poured some bean flour into a bowl, added blended fresh pepper and onions, and mixed in a little water to get a smooth consistency.
I knew proper mixing helps Akara fluff up nicely, so I stirred with all the hope and energy of someone expecting greatness. Once the paste was ready, I added seasoning, adjusted the taste, and gave it a final stir. It looked promising. In my mind, this was the perfect idea for our breakfast.
Now the Frying Begins
I heated oil in a deep frying pan and gently dropped scoops of the paste in. The paste sizzled beautifully, turning golden brown just like normal Akara. “Look at me now!” I thought. But then, the shape and texture started to betray me. My Akara balls began to look suspiciously like puff puff. I laughed out loud and thought, “Is this turning into puff puff, is the flour spoilt?” but of course, it’s not even close to the expiry date.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for: Tasting Time!
When the Akara was done, I took a bite with high expectations. Sadly, it didn’t taste like traditional Akara. So I got a second opinion and offered some to my family. The look on their faces said it all like “Why didn’t you just make fresh Akara?” My mom tried to be nice about it, said it wasn’t bad… but also, it wasn’t that good. I told them to manage it like that. LOL.
But eventually, I went back to the kitchen and made another batch. This time, the traditional way because we were still craving Akara, and I wanted us to enjoy it properly.
Did I Learn Anything From This Experiment?
Yes! This experiment taught me something valuable; not all cooking shortcuts are worth it. Bean flour might save time, but it doesn’t deliver the same taste or texture.The traditional method of peeling and blending raw beans might take more effort, but the result is worth every minute.
I might give bean flour another try someday with some tweaks but for now, let’s stick to the normal method. You gerrit? Lol
Conclusion
Cooking is all about experimenting, learning, and laughing at your flops. While this bean flour Akara didn’t exactly turn out well, it helped me appreciate the beauty of doing things the right (and sometimes longer) way. Bean flour might be convenient, but nothing beats the authentic taste of freshly prepared Akara.
Have you ever tried making Akara with bean flour?
Did yours turn out better than mine?
Share your story in the comments I’d love to hear it!
Previous posts;
I like the shape oo
Hahahaha
The shape says it all
hi