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Wagasi in tomato sauce
Wagasi: northern Benin's springy Fulani cheese, home-made, fried golden and simmered in tomato
In the Borgou and Alibori country of northern Benin, Fulani women carry wagasi to market in basins: small, springy rounds of fresh cheese, often with a red rind coloured by sorghum leaves. Sliced, fried golden and simmered in tomato and pepper sauce, it is sold across Benin and eaten with rice, akassa or bread. Herders traditionally set the milk with sap from the Calotropis shrub; that sap is toxic, so never use it at home. This version sets pasteurised whole milk with vegetarian rennet, giving the same mild, squeaky, slightly chewy cheese; bought wagasi, or paneer as a vegetarian stand-in, lets you skip straight to the frying. Chef's tip: let the slices sit undisturbed in the hot oil until a crust forms; moved too soon, fresh cheese sticks and tears.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the wagasi
- 12 ½ cups whole milkpasteurised, not UHT
- ½ tsp vegetarian rennetliquid microbial rennet, diluted in 50 ml cool water; check the label
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground sorghum leaf or sweet paprika (optional)for the red rind
For the tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 4 tomatoesgrated or blended
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 fresh red chillichopped
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Warm the 12 ½ cups whole milk in a large pot over a low-medium heat, stirring, to 100°F, just warm to the wrist.
10 minStep 2: Take off the heat and stir in the diluted ½ tsp vegetarian rennet with slow up-and-down strokes for 30 seconds. Cover and leave undisturbed for 40 minutes until it sets into a soft gel that splits cleanly when you lift it with a knife.
40 minStep 3: Cut the curd into 2 cm cubes and warm gently to about 113°F, stirring slowly, for 10 minutes until the curds shrink and feel firmer. No rennet? Heat the milk to 194°F instead and stir in 80 ml lemon juice; the curds will be firmer and more crumbly, like paneer.
10 minStep 4: Ladle the curds into 3–4 small sieves lined with muslin or cheesecloth, press lightly and drain for 20 minutes, turning once, until they hold as firm discs. Keep 1 litre of the whey.
20 minStep 5: Bring the whey to a simmer with the 2 tsp salt and poach the discs for 10 minutes until springy and slightly shiny. Drain and roll in 1 tsp ground sorghum leaf or sweet paprika if you like. The cheese keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a little salted whey.
10 minStep 6: Cut the cheese into 1.5 cm slices. Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the slices for 2 minutes on each side until golden; leave them alone until the crust releases. Lift out.
6 minStep 7: In the same oil, cook the 1 onion for 4 minutes, add the 2 garlic cloves for 1 minute, then the 4 tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 fresh red chilli. Cook for 8 minutes until thick and the oil shines on top.
13 minStep 8: Add the ¾ cup water and ½ tsp salt, simmer for 2 minutes, then return the cheese and simmer for 3 minutes until heated through. Serve with rice or bread.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wagasi in tomato sauce take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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