I had written a draft for this post and went to dig it out. I checked the date and it was Sept 3rd 2014. Yikes. I have wanted to try this for the past three months and the opportunity just didn’t come up. If you read my Christmas Menu (HERE), you would have seen me write “#fitfam Akara with cherry tomatoes, shallots and a flavoured oil drizzle for breakfast”.
This should have been Christmas Breakfast. All red and green and Festive. Aint it a beauty
Funmi’s friend had told anybody who cared to listen that she was eating Waffled Akara for Christmas breakfast. She was telling me with excitement on her face. I was too exhausted from my marathon Christmas Eve cooking, there was no way I would have been up early to try something experimental for breakfast. Again, that didn’t happen. I was beginning to think this experiment was jinxed.
Well, thanks to #fitfam and my need to keep up my protein diet, FINALLY, I get to try this and it wasn’t without its struggles. I would like to say thank you to a reader from the US. You have asked me not to mention your name, even though I would very much like to. She wrote to me and said Dunni, give me your address, I would like to send you something to say thank you. I know most of us just say thank you with words and prayers, but I would like to take it further. I wondered what it could be that she was sending all the way from America, until a package arrived at my door and it was a Waffle Maker. OMG!!!!!! Thanks to you, I didn’t have to go buy ONE MORE kitchen gadget. God Bless you, girl. I remember she said, I hope you do something create with it. The very first time I used this waffle maker, was to make Akara Waffles last night. I have fulfilled your wish.
You can imagine how long I have been researching this, way before September last year. Like the Moin Moinlette (recipe HERE), I didn’t get much help from Google. Seems even with the vegetarians and vegans, Nigerians take the cake with cooking with blended beans. Like the Akara Pancake (recipe HERE), I also wanted to stay true to the traditional Akara recipe.
In a million years, you wouldn’t look at this and think Akara. Love the Visual confusion. hehehehe
Unlike Moin Moin which has evolved over time, Akara has basically stayed the same, and so the experiment begun. Oh dear, someone should have warned me. I started begging the gods of the Waffle Iron. Please stop sticking, what am I doing wrong, but my stubborn streak prevailed and I reworked the batter and applied more cooking spray.
some serious scraping off, when this happened, Arrrrrgh
I refused to let this waffle maker beat me. No Sireee
After the success of the Moin Moinlette, here’s to everyone who tried it yesterday. Thanks for the tags, the emails, the pictures. You guys totally made my day. Now here’s another beans batter challenge to try. Waffled Akara.
If you would like to have this recipe in your Big Oven Account or App, you will have to click on the SAVE button FIRST. Don’t go searching for this recipe in the Big Oven App. You have to Save it on the blog first, before it will appear in your Big Oven Account. Let’s Cook.
- Peeled Beans
- Salt
- Crayfish
- Vegetable Oil
- Chopped Onions
- Chopped Tatashe - red bell pepper
- Fried Pepper sauce for serving - optional
- Blend the beans to a smooth puree. You can decide to add the onions and tatashe to the beans before blending. I did that because I did not want burnt bits sticking to the waffle maker.
- The traditional recipe for Akara calls for stirring the bean batter to aerate it. You know I don't have time for that, so hand mixer to the resuce
. - I let the engine run at 1 for about 5 minutes till I could see air pockets in the batter
- Stir in the crayfish and season with salt
- Heat up the waffle maker. Spray on oil, or you can dip a kitchen paper towel in oil and rub every usable surface
- Here was my first one. I thought the bean paste was too watery, so I added some homemade bean flour
- Pour into the waffle maker.
- Next try, it was rising as it should, like a traditional waffle
- Despite facing troubles with sticking to one side, I figured out that closing the waffle maker loosely helped the akara cook a little without sticking to the top. Once it was less wet i.e. half cooked, I shut the lid tightly to allow the top to cook, and it was fine.
- A few warning points, you may likely get bits of the top sticking, see pictures but leave the device to keep running. As it gets hotter, the bits that have stuck become harder, and comes off the waffle maker cleanly
. I have to add that I have never made a Waffle in my life before, despite eating it countless times, so if you are an experienced waffle aficionado, any tips you can share will be most welcome. - Anyways, I succeeded with my method, and my waffles turned out fine. . I found that the bottom bits were browner than the top bits, but it was fine. The best parts were the golden crispy edges. Yums!!!
- Akara Waffles readdddddddddy!!!!
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till I could see air pockets in the batter
. I thought the bean paste was too watery, so I added some homemade bean flour
.
but leave the device to keep running. As it gets hotter, the bits that have stuck become harder, and comes off the waffle maker cleanly
. I have to add that I have never made a Waffle in my life before, despite eating it countless times, so if you are an experienced waffle aficionado, any tips you can share will be most welcome.
Akara goes chic, Akara goes to America. Vegetarians would love this, without the crayfish of course. So would Vegans. You know who would love this the most? Kids!!!!! I have had a couple Mums tell me their children have been arguing with them about the Moin Moinlette being a Pizza. Well here is another one to try at home. Create a lasting food memory. You will have them telling all their friends how their Mum made waffles with Akara.
2015 is starting out to be a good year. Thanks to #fitfam, I get to try out all these my ideas. You are going to notice a theme with beans this week. Easing my body of the carbs for now. Protein rules the roost.
You can also make this in a Sandwich Toaster, if you don’t have a waffle maker Click HERE
This is a testimonial picture from Adesuwa who tried this to much success. She said it didn’t stick at all, and I can see why. Her akara batter was quite thick. I hope this helps
End result, I will be willing to bet with anyone who would not believe that this was made from beans and not traditional waffle batter
From Mrsfie
Lily even took this further by baking in a silicone waffle mold. How clever is that
Enough of all the rice, yam, eba, heavy swallow stuff. I don’t particularly like beans, except its the ewa agoyin gotten from the food vendor, but with all these sweetness u have been dishing out or should I say waffling out beans doesn’t scare me anymore. I washed my beans today, tying my apron and getting ready to be the fittest off the fam. Great job girl!!!
Go Girl!!!!
Oh quick question, is it ok for me to wash my beans and store in a freezer bag in the fridge or would it go bad after a bit. Thaat every day washing something is…..
Would you believe if I told you that the moin moinlette and the akara waffles came from defrosted beans in the freezer? Looool. I do that all the time. Peel a big batch of beans using the food processor and portion in freezer bags
Dooney please I need to confirm.is it all food processor that can peel beans?
Hi Tunies, as long as the food processor has a knife blade. it will peel beans
Ah bless your soul
Blessings wee never stop coming your way Dooney. U knw these things are inventions right? Put it together and speak English and one school wee give u PhD plus patent. lol Go girl your brain and creativity is superb.
hahahahahahahahaha. Thanks Ij
Please, anyone with an iPhone tell me what your settings are for “cookies” and Safari! I’ve change mine yet I can’t save directly to Big Oven. So frustrating. I get this message ”
“A formatted recipe was not found on this page. Try point-and-click
dooneyrooney”
I have noticed that too. I can’t even seem to sign in on Big Oven on my Iphone. I have emailed the company. Can you try this. Please google big oven on your safari and sign in. So, you are remained signed in, then visit the blog, click on save recipe. try that and please let me know if it works
My sister, I tried your suggestion and it didn’t work. It won’t even let me “copy & paste” the instructions. I’m busy trying to save it so when I want to start exploring, I have it handy.. However, Big Oven doesn’t like my favorite site!
Hi, the problem has been fixed now. It should be working, please try again
Hi, Donny, can I use a toasting machine, don’t have access to waffle maker
sandwich maker, yes you can
Yes, yes you can. Someone just did
Awesome job as usual. I’m definitely going to try this. To help with the akara sticking to one side, how about you spray the waffle maker with cooking spray like Pam. At least that’s how I make waffles and they never stick. Going to go make my moin moinlettes. Thanks
Hi Dooney! Happy New Year and all that! I was going to wish you all you wish for yourself and just realised that, here we are, 7 days into the year, and my girl is on a roooolllllll!!
Just as I get my head around moin moinlette (sorta), bam! You hit us with Akara waffles!! Is there no end to your talent, creativity, downright master strokes in the kitchen?
When they say God blesses someone, he gave with with two hands (that’s the waffi in me lol).
so let me say, albeit, a tad late, may God continue to strengthen your resolve to harness this gift he has given you and take you onwards to greater heights – oh, and our bellies too. As for the belly of the man God will choose for you, he is already working on the athlete, as he will need to be one to keep up with the delicacies you churn out – daily!
I am sure I read somewhere you are a project manager by day? When do you sleep? I need some of your energy girl!
Keep smiling, and of course, cooking!
Gx
You made me laugh, smile and almost cry. Thank for your support over the prriod of being a blogger. You are one of my oldies but goodies readers. I wish you all the very best in life. As you prayed for me, your iwn wishes will come true
this is the season of protein!!!yayy!!lool.i’m definitely gonna try this today, i finally got a food processor, i also have a waffle maker that looks like yours and all the other ingredients. Lets do this!! Go dooneyyyyy, u’r on a roll this year and i’m loving ittt!! Hope we’ll see more of you on Youtuba as well.XooX.
I tried this and it turned out awesome!!!My mind was blownnnn, eyes were seeing waffles but tastebuds were saying akara! I had it with a tomato sauce and hubby named it ‘Waffkara’ and he loved it. lol. I’m having it with pap next time, my next attempt will be at Moinmoinlette *fingers crossed. #teamfitfam #SYTYCCFitness. I gotta head to the market to get more beans. tnx dooneyyy.
Dunnie, God bless the work of your hands. I think if you add a little oil to the akara mix, it should stick less. I have seen butter added to waffle mix to help with sticking.
Ah, great tip. thanks
Aunt dooney, I honestly can’t seem to get the big oven app,anytime. I try searching for ur recipes I don’t see them o,and av registered, I use an android by the way…is dere something am not doing.. Pls help *sobs *
Hi Kunbi, you have to save the recipes first on the blog before they will show up in your big oven account. My recipes dont show up on big oven until you save it first
I gerrit, it’s working now..Tanks abunch
And by the way,I tried the akara waffles, it totally stuck to the toasting machine o *sobs *and the inside was uncooked, I just jejeli fried the rest in oil, dunno Wat I did wrong o..*sad*
Hi Kunbi, I think your batter was not thick enough. Let the waffle get very hot first and then pour in. I really hope you try it again. I was able to put this post up because I tried again
Quick question Dunni. Do you soak the beans for a few hours to get it soft? I already have peeled beans.
No o, 5 minutes.
Hi Dooney,
How do I peel manually? I don’t have a processor yet…
With your hands. Use a blender to peel too
You’re insane Dooney! You’ve lost it! How do you come up with these ideas???? Dang, loving every bit of this Akara Waffle story. You go girl…*high five*. My BFFs must see this. We must try this. It’s on my to-do-list.
Rotflmao. Thank you Pipa. I will try that Dafa Duka
Hi Dooney, new to this site & I’m totally loving it. Will start sending you pics of my own creations after following your instructions. God bless you
Thank you Dunni for the mention, you are such an inspiration.
Please how do you make the homemade bean flour?
Best to buy it, unless you have a home use mill. b