I went for an event yesterday organised by Walkers crisps, inviting food bloggers to taste and sample their new range of Market Deli crisps. It was a huge honour to be invited, especially more so that I was the only Nigerian food blogger present. Scratch that, nobody on the African continent was represented. It was a good opportunity to speak to other food bloggers about Nigerian food, and it wasn’t totally surprising that they did not know anything about Nigerian food. Oh, the surprise looks, the arching of their eyebrows when I mentioned that many of the ingredients on the table used in the chips were everyday staples in the average Nigerian kitchen and fridge. I am gone past being annoyed about the issue, I have decided to channel that anger into determination to get our food out there. I don’t care if I have to bang on doors till I get myself heard. Being present at the event, was a slip through the cracks. Watch out for my product review very soon. Walkers is a huge deal, hey they are owned by Pepsico, so I am really chuffed.
On my way home on the train, it dawned on me that presentation, packaging, modernising our recipes etc are not the only things that we need to take Nigerian food mainstream. I just knew I had to put up this post today. We have to carefully look at our process of cooking. Believe me, the average non Nigerian we want to educate and wish to enamour about our food is not going to have it with all our tedious cooking. That’s the truth. These people with their sophisticated, well cultured and food curious palates are not going to leave their homes and traipse around their neighbourhoods looking for possibly hard to find ingredients and then get home and spend hours cooking it. A curry is one of the easiest things to cook, a tagine also easy, chinese food, their cooks have deliberately made it easier, which probably contributed to why it has been easily adapted mainstream. We have what we call Knowledge Transfer in In PM terms, and I am applying it today. Our cooking is tedious, let us admit it. If you weren’t brought up to do it, many would not even bother.
Ewa Aganyin is delicious but quite tedious to cook. I will lament about frying the sauce for almost 3 hours at another time. Today it is the beans. You have to cook it till very soft, and then proceed to mashing it with a wooden spoon to get that traditional mashed/semi mashed consistency. I had a 2kg order to fulfill and after saving myself time by boiling in my massive pressure cooker, I looked at the filled to the brim pot and the idea of transferring it to a much bigger pot and then cooking further and mashing, made my stomach turn. I remembered my success with peeling beans in a food process or (click HERE), so I decided to try my luck with mashing too. It worked.
More ways to love your Food Processor in Nigerian Cooking
1. Cooked beans at the ready. Again, I started taking shots after my first try. This pressure pot was full at the start.
2. Setup your food processor, with the bowl and attach the knife blade.
3. Fill the bowl with the cooked beans. This gal was pressed for time, again I filled up the bowl. Lol. If you notice, the beans was cooked till mushy i.e. a little liquid left
4. Cover the bowl and use the same process as peeling i.e. set the dial to maximum for a very brief period. 30 – 45 seconds, then stop.
Do it again and stop, this time, open the cover and use a spoon to mix together, such that you don’t end up with completely mashed bits at the bottom.
5. One more go with the engine, and you are done with one big batch. If you were doing this volume manually, I shudder to think of the arm cardio and the time it will take you.
Again, knowledge transfer. Mashed potatoes can be made in a food processor, so why not Ewa Aganyin. If I send the recipe to a popular British food blogger, he/she would try it. Now, try explaining to a non Nigerian, how you would need to cook the beans till soft, add more water, take your wooden spoon and start mashing. He or she would just roll their eyes, politely smile at you and trash your recipe in the next bin.
Showing you again more pictures of the process. First go, you can see more whole bean seeds
next go
final go, job done. It took probably under 2 minutes.
I was done mashing 2kg worth of cooked beans stat. Now look at all that ewa aganyin and try to imagine how long it would have taken me to do that by hand, plus my tiny arms in question. I washed the pressure pot, and the food processor all in quick time. I packed it all up in a 7 litre bowl and marveled at the time I saved. Plus no sweat. Imagine that.
If you are wondering, no it wasn’t over mashed to puree form, you can still see some whole beans peeking out, the texture was just right, the way the Togolese women sell it.
Can you try this in a blender, you may wish to ask. I will say, yes, but you may not be as successful as with a food processor. The limited space of a blender would probably give you over mashed beans, but I am willing and open for you to prove me wrong. I was of the impression that only a dough blade will work for pounded yam, and I had many readers try a knife blade with equal results. So, I challenge you to try and let’s see.
If you want to save on the washing, or you only have a small quantity that you need. Use a Hand mixer.
Here are videos below
Here’s to Nigerian Cooking in 2014. Bring out your glass and toast to progress.
yay!!! way to go. Thanks Dooney
You are welcome Yemi
Hiii Dooney, thank you soo much for this blog, its a life saver. Please what is the brand name of your food processor? The make and every detail I need to buy it here in Nigeria. Thank you sooooooooo much.
Mine is a Kenwood FP920. You can also buy a Philips. Cash and carry, Konga.com, dealdey.com and jumia.com sell food processors. Possibly, shoprite should too
Shoprite sells. It was on promo the last time I visited.
Thank you for the tip Tomiwa
I just love your way with words Dooney. Guess you should have come as a writer instead but then again, who will blog about all this and be the eye opener we see you as. You are so much appreciated. Believe that !!!
Hugs Olufunso. I guess it was all the years of reading books as a child and always wanting to tell my own stories. Thank you very much for the compliments. Hugs
Pls how is the Ewa Aganyin eaten, am on a protein diet, so variety on how to make my beans will be appreciated.
Hi Tracy, Ewa Aganyin is eaten with a spicy and grainy dark stew. I have attached the link. Likewise, you can use chunky fish stew. I hope that helps. http://www.dooneyskitchen.com/2014/04/04/ewa-aganyin-stew-part-2/
Honestly, its posts like this that keeps me coming here everyday!!! Your passion to see Nigerian food widely accepted is very inspiring and you pay so much attention to details. You’ll surely go far with this. Even though I don’t know you personally am proud that you are a Nigerian girl – our very own Dooney!!!
Hugs Aunty Mo. Thank you, very, very much.
You can also use the hand held blender for making the ewa again .
Thanks for the tip Aderonke. I would try it
Sincerely speaking our Nigerian meals are awesome but the procedures are tiring. Most times I cook and feel sad afterwards because the stove is messy and I have a lot of cleaning to do. Wish it can be more simplified. Thanks Dooney you are doing a great job.
You hit the nail on the head Mfon. You are welcome.
Cheers!!!!!!!!!!! Stools!!!!!!!!!!! And Tables!!!!!!!!!! Well done Maami,well done. Godbless&increase and increase your platform&knowledge stream in Jesus name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let the congregation say?? Ameeeeen. Well done
Amen, Amen, Amen Zurielle. Thanks
dooney, i pray that God would make the cook book a reality and make it real soon.i av included that in my every day prayers and am sure God would answer me.
love you love u .
Amen Dami, a resounding Amen. Thank you for including me in your prayers. All our prayers will come true by His Grace
Good job Dooney…. Pls which of the blade’s did you use…. Most times I have challenges with the blades, I will appreciate if you can always display the exact blade. Thanks for making us good chefs.
I used a knife blade Patience, I have now added a picture
Thanks Dooney … you are the best.
Aaaaaaw, hugs Patience. Thanks
Hehehehehe, my husband is in soup!
Now that I have discovered this blog, he will eat till he thinks I wanna sell him cuz hey! who else will I try all these wonderful recipes on?
May God continue to bless and keep you for us Dooney. Really appreciate the knowledge being shared.
Looool, yes o, that’s the spirit. Feed him well. Amen to your prayers and best wishes to you too
Love love love this. Got my food processor yesterday,made the iyan today. Couldn’t close my mouth. Thanks so much at least we can eat healthy now.wonder why we feel sooo heavy after the potato and farina iyan,God knows wat other preservatives are in it.
Dearest Dunni,
I ordered two different models of food processor after reading your post.The first one came withall the different blades that could be used for shredding, etc but the other one came with only the dough blade. so i got that the dough blade is used for the iyan,beans(aganyin and peeling) and bitter leaves. What other things can i use the dough blade for? Thanks a mil
sorry it came with a knife blade and dough blade
i’d like to know the other uses of a knife blade. sorry for the broken comments. Thanks
making dough for bread or meat pie, or pizza, or pounded yam
Ahaaa, good way to give it this texture, this my new food processor has work to do o!