I spent a great part of my early childhood in Kwara State in Nigeria and Wara Soya was a staple. You could find it in any street corner.
Some people called it wara soya others called it beske or Tofu. This is a very healthy and tasty snack made from soy beans.
Ingredient
- 3 cups cups soybeans
- 75ml cup freshly squeezed lime juice**
- water Other ( salt and pepper to taste, oil for frying)
**Lemon juice is used as a coagulant (to separate solids from liquid).
Other things that can be used include magnesium chloride, apple cider vinegar, epsom salt or calcium sulphate. Some also suggest omi ogi (fermented water from raw pap). I have never tried this. If you have, please provide some insight.
Direction
- Soak the soybeans overnight. Drain and grind in a blender ( add about 3 cups of water while grinding)
- Strain soybeans through a cheese cloth or sieve (This is locally called “Ase” – it’s the same thing used for ogi. Make sure you get the clothe kind)
- Pour the sieved milk into a big Pot, Boil the soy-milk on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently ( be careful, the milk has a tendency to boil over)
- Reduce the heat, add in lime juice (do not stir), tofu should start to form. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, set aside for 1 hour
- Place the cheesecloth (Ase) in a bowl or over the sink, pour the tofu in carefully, fold the cheesecloth over and press out as much soy milk as possible
- Press down on the tofu bag with a tray and an heavy object (this is to remove all excess water from the tofu and allow it to set)
- Leave for 4-5 hrs. Your tofu should be set and ready to serve.
**Tofu is ready for consumption at this point, you can season it with salt and pepper and serve** or process further;
- Cut the tofu into desired sizes and season with some salt, maggi and pepper. Deep fry until golden brown.
Tofu/Beske can also be used in stir-fry, stews and sauces as a great meat alternative.
I will try it ma,thanks
Thanks so much.will surely try it
Thank you.
Weldone ma. Please what quantity of Epsom salt is okay for 3cups soy milk. Or if I decide to try it out with other alternatives please what quantity.
Thanks for the teaching
My question is how can I preserve for 1month.
I put it refrigerator for a week it became watery thanks
From Susan
My milk is not curding. What can I do
I stays in kwara, I help to supply Wara from kwara to Lagos and other places. We will like to spread the sale, since it can be preserved in frigde, it can make sales in super market. We need market for wars. Thanks what’sup number 09066476724
I trie it with alum it can work.teach Me in another way.
I tried it several time I use alum it can work.
Can I use yeast to make it fluffy?
Awesome ,will try this lime method. Thank you
Hello, thank you for sharing your method. My mother-in-law makes this, but instead of lime juice she uses epsom salt as the coagulant. Is this safe? She was showing me how she made it, she used a small amount, but I didn’t know Epsom salt was safe to consume.
I tried this today but i can’t cut it into solid forms.i don’t know what I did wrong
Hi Ronke. Awesome post! Thank you. I’m trying this asap. I’m a bit of a naturalist so I’ll do the ‘pap water’. However, using the same principle, what if I use the fermented whey from strained yogurt? Will it work? I make my own yogurt and it will be great to put the whey to other uses. Then, after extracting the soy milk, what use can be made from the chaff? Thanks. May the Lord bless your hustle
YES! It works wonderfully. Lactofermented soy whey makes the most delicately delicious tofu! Just add a little salt and use purified, distilled or well water. Chemicals in city water will prevent fermentation.
I’m interested. I prefer soya beans WARA to any meat so I eat a lot. I need a producer who can be supplying me. 08037282900
can I use unripe orange as coagulant too?
I don’t know what “pap” is, however I use fermented whey from previos batch of tofu. (let sit in covered jar at room temp approx 7 days, then can be refrigerated. It gives tofu a wonderful mellow taste but best of all, it freezes with the texture of chicken or veal and can be used for western meat recipies that have a sauce.
Thanks for the addition
Thanks for this wonderful teaching. Pls you wrote lemon juice is used as coagulate but in the process of this teaching you used lime juice in line 4. Are they the same or mistakemistake?
Either or is fine.
can u use lime and Apple cider at the same time please
I have never tried that. Why would you though?
Pleas what can I use as presever that can preserve my tofu for over a long period lik 2months
Maybe check online, sorry I dont know any.
After making the tofu, I cut it into cubes and season. Then place into containers and place in the freezer. It can keep for as long as you like. Alternatively you can place in the fridge soaked and covered in water for about a week. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the addition
You can chop your rodo into bits then sprinkle into the cuddled soya bean before squeezing out the water, or boil with pepper,spices,omi-Eran as you wish, after cutting into your desired shapes then fry
Thanks for the addition!
Tnx for this post alum can also be used as coagulant I’ve tried it and twas perfect just soak alum in water and sprinkle the water on the boiling milk. After cutting out the cake spice it and boil before frying. U will like it
Thank you for the addition! excellent suggestion.
Thanks for this recipe, I tried the tofu and it turn out great. God bless you
Awesome! thanks for the feedback.
thanks so much.what do you think? if i drain the water out for 5 hours and store the hard tofu in a pillow case cloth just like ogi, then keep in freezer. when i want to fry wara i defrose it and cut the portion for that day add my spices and fry. will the tofu loose its nutrient since we dont eat it often and grinding it always can be bored. secondly can i use soybeans blended paste to make ezekeil bread or it has to be in a powder /flour form. thanks
I Think you are better off frying off the tofu lightly before freezing. After defrosting you can then fry it properly.
This is wow,thanks so much but pls can I grind the soybeans together with pepper
You can add pepper after cuddling the tofu.
Wow, thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for whom to teach me n I found you. I stay in d north, but I notice in between d tofu prepared by the northerners, there are spices so I do wonder if this spices were added before adding the lime juice. Can you please direct me on how to go about it? Though am single but am hoping to try various recipes before I get into my home. Once again thank you so much cause it means a lot.
You are welcome. no, the tofu is usually spiced after.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. The omi ogi worked perfectly.
awesome! thanks for the feedback.
Omi ogi is better if you can get it as it has little or no side effects health wise. I used it and it came out well.
thanks for this wonderful recipe.
anytime!
Also do i have to remove the back before soaking it like beans for moinmoin
No you do not have to remove the back.
Instead of frying can i bake it?
You definitely can
Thanks for all your posts; you really are a great help. God bless I am waiting for my omi ogi to be fermented so I can make it; I plan to make it with lemon/lime too, and will let you know the outcome of both. Thanks again.
amen! please do keep me posted.
If you are using this very often…..make sure you are taking iodine!!!! Soybeans keep the thyroid from assimilating the iodine…and then you end up with thyroid problems and getting fat…to say the least.
hi can this be used instead of cheese in your flat bread pizza recipe
No, it’s not the same.
It depends where are you leaving. Am staying at kaduna.
i like soya milk very well, that is why am trying so hard to learn how to make it.But lily want to the correct ingredient, Because i know that it will help me any time i want to do it PLEASE MY NO IS 08107076614 MY NAME IS KINGSLEY OR CALLED ME TOCHUKWU THANKS……..
Im so impressed with d article.
Do u know where i can get Acidophilus bacteria in Nigeria so that I can make yoghurt at home
Thanks! unfortunately I am not sure, I will ask around.
Its know as yogomet or yogormet. That is how it sounds
Hello,
I don’t have access to a cheese cloth or sieve. Could you suggest alternatives?
any cotton fabric will do really.
Can i bake or grill it?
yes
Hello, I making Soy Cheese, but its coming to (little) yellow color ..?
I need it white color like a snow .
Pls advise .
Thanks fr yr cooperation
Best Rgds
Mohamed Rakad hamidi
what did you use as a coagulant?
I was desperately looking for this recipe. I will try it with store bought fresh milk tonight; I hope it turns out well. I cant wait to eat fresh wara after almost 30+ years. Thanks for posting.
I really wouldn’t advice that you make it with store bought milk, they have other chemicals added. Soy beans in widely sold everywhere, bulk food isle will be the best place to look if you live outside Nigeria.
Nice wan. Since I came to America, I have not once eaten wara. All these yeye african restaurants only sell fufu and jollof. Sebi I will eat that for the rest of my life? Nawa o. Well, I will try to try this recepie and definetely some others on this site. I will tell my mama also. Thank you and may God prosper you. :)
Amen amen. let us know how the recipe turns out when you try it.
Should we peel the soya bean before grinding?
I don’t. I also use the soak water. Both add to the nutty flavor
Would like to know if I can use white vinegar in place of lime juice?
Apple cider vinegar can be used
you don’t need to coat it with bread to fry. if you do it right its hard on its own. also you can add pepper, and seasonings when boiling before you sieve it.
Seasoning when boiling? That’s new for me.. I will have to try it.
whao, nice post. exactly wat av been lookin for. can d milk be consumed like dat in case i decide nt 2 continue d cheese processin?
Yes. The resulting mixture before you add the coagulant is soy milk.
i tried making wara with lime but it lasted very bad,and coating it with flour made it very hard a d at the end it has no taste cos maggi and salt wasnt included in the menu,and again it was too thick.my question is what can i use apart from lime and second is,is it a must to boil the milk.
You can try Epsom salt or calcium sulphate. Yes, you need to boil the milk.
We have added a list of things that can be used as a coagulant. Do try it again.
I stay in kwara too,my mum makes beske but instead of lime she uses ‘omi ogi’ that is the sour water on top of fermenting raw pap i love ur posts they are amazing and useful
I have never tried Omi ogi.. how much do you need to use?
Thanks 4 dis but i am some how confused. Which one is colander and cheese cloth? Can i use the cloth 4 seivin kunnu.
Cheese cloth is equivalent to ase, you can use the same stuff for kunnu and ogi. Colander is just a perforated bowl, it allows the excess water to strain out easily.
Thank you!! Will try with some soy milk I have in the fridge. Hope it will turn out as good as fresh soy bean milk.
so you can say 9jafoodie poisoned you? please issue your disclaimer! lol it is well with you.
Lol… I dont think store bought soy milk will work.
lol. disclaimer already? Its non GMO soy milk. I drink it all the time. Really the only time I don’t drink this particular soy milk is with hard granola. But will let you know how it turned out though. Don’t worry, you won’t be held liable for any mishaps.
Sincerely,
Obi.
Should we peel the soya bean before grinding?