Wagashi is a Fulani fresh curd cheese that can be found in northern parts of Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Côte D’Ivoire (wherever there are Fulani herdsmen). Traditionally it’s made with the leaves of Calotropis procera (Apple of Sodom, Sodom apple, king’s crown, rubber bush, and rubber tree) as a souring agent. However, you could substitute vinegar or lemon juice. Wagashi is typically fried and served with suya spices.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 20 minutes/Serves: 12 (+draining and maturing)
Ingredients:
2.2l (4 cups) of Organic Whole Milk
120ml (1/2 cup) of distilled White Vinegar (or lemon juice)
4 tbsp of Sea salt
200ml (4/5 cup) of Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
Pour the milk into a large pot then bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and pour over the vinegar. You should notice curds forming almost straight away. Take a spatula and stir the milk to ensure the vinegar is fully incorporated.
Cover your pot (a cast iron casserole is good here) and simmer gently for 5 minutes. After this time, you will end up with a thick curd. Remove the lid, take off the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Line a large fine-meshed sieve with muslin (cheesecloth) then carefully pour in the curd and whey mixture. Place the sieve on top of a large pot or bowl. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and twist one-handed to force out more of the whey. (Do not discard the liquid whey yet, you will need it shortly).
Transfer the cheesecloth with the curds to another sieve set over an empty bowl. Press down with a heavy weight (I fetched a large stone from the beach for this purpose) and set aside to drain. Don’t be tempted to wring the cheese out with your hands as this gives too dry a texture. Let the cheese drain naturally for 2 hours.
After this time the cheese is almost ready… but it still needs to be salted. Carefully transfer your served whey to a large pot with a ladle. Add in the salt then bring to a boil. Place your raw wagashi cheese in a strip of muslin (cheese cloth) then sit in a bowl. Once the salted whey comes to a boil, take off the heat and pour over the cheesecloth wrapped wagahi then cover everything with clingfilm (plastic wrap). Allow to cool then transfer to your refrigerator and allow to mature in the whey brine for up to 3 days.
Unwrap your wagashi then cut into bite-sized chunks. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan. Once the oil is hot drop in the wagashi pieces and fry, turning frequently until nicely browned on the outside.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve with suya spice.
