What is aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the liquid present when we cook bean (garbanzo beans/ chickpeas / Bengal gram) or the liquid in a can of beans. Now, aquafaba is made when cooking other legumes also, however, cooking chickpeas create the best, most starchy liquid. That’ is why chickpea water is the most common when making aquafaba in other recipes. And so when aquafaba is refered, it should be understood as the cooking liquid of chickpeas or the liquid in a can of chickpeas
How to make aquafaba?
Now, easiest way to get aquafaba is by draining and saving the liquid from the can of chickpeas. It is best to choose canned beans with low or no salt added to it, so that the liquid is not very salty.
Now, we can make aquafaba from scratch by soaking and then cooking your own chickpeas in the pressure cooker. After cooking let the pressure release by itself and then allow it cool in the liquid itself and strain it. IT will be exactly like the liquid that we get with canned beans.
Section 2: Recipe of how to make aquafaba from scratch at home
Ingredient for soaking:
1 cup chickpea
3 times water
Equipment required
1 medium sized bowl
Ingredient for cooking
1 cup chickpeas soaked for at least 12 hours and the water drained
4 cups of water to cook the chickpeas
Equipment required:
Pressure cooker
Section 3: Instruction on how to make aquafaba from scratch at home
1. Soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas in 3 times water overnight(at least 12 hours). It doubles in volume.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas, and then add them to a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water, that is, water should be stading above it. Do not use any salt or spices and pressure cook over a medium flame for 6 whistles. Then wait till the pressure is released by itself.
3. Once the pressure is relased then allow to cool down in the cooking liquid. This step leaves extra starch in the liquid, which is what gives aquafaba it’s egg-like quality.
4. When cool, remove the chickpeas by poring through a seive, it will be thick yellowish liquid resembling the liquid that comes out of canned chickpeas.
Section 4: Storing instructions:
1.Allow the aquafaba to cool, and then store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for months. For ease, consider freezing it in ice cube tray.
2. When it’s completely frozen, pop the frozen aquafaba out from the ice cube tray, and then place into a ziplock bag or container and freeze for months. When you are ready to use it, thaw the number of cubes you need in the fridge, and then use in your recipes.
Section 5 : uses of aquafaba
Some of the uses of aquafaba are:
Aquafaba can be added while making hummus instead of ice cubes to thicken the hummus. (recipe video of hummus)
It is also used to thicken soups.
In baked goods like pancakes and muffins it is used as replacer for egg white and whole egg.
It is used in making many vagan food like vegan butter, mayonaise, vagan whipped desserts, like chocolate mousse, vegan buttercream and vegan whipped cream or ice cream.
To use aquafaba as substitute for eggs.
Now, vegans use aquafaba as a egg replacer in pancakes and baked goods like muffins. It has many of the characteristics of eggs in baking. Here is a general rule when replacing eggs with aquafaba:
3 tablespoons of aquafaba = 1 large egg
2 tablespoons of aquafaba = 1 egg white
3 ways of using aquafaba as an egg replacer :
Use a hand whisk and whisk until light and frothy then use as an egg binder in the recipes that call for it like cookies, pancakes and muffins.
Whip into soft peaks and fold into batters that needs added airiness in the recipes that call for it like waffles, muffins and cupcakes.
Whip into stiff peaks and use to make the recipes that call for it like ice cream or vegan macarons.
Method of whipping aquafaba
You can whip aquafaba using hand mixer but whipped aquafaba by itself will deflate very quickly. However, we can rewhip it. And it may take a while for aquafaba to whip. If yours isn’t whipping as quickly as you hoped, just keep at it. Some times it may take around 10 minutes of whipping. Mostly soft peaks appear within 4-5 minutes, but if doesn't happen, keep going, eventually you will get there. However, the most easy method for whipped aquafaba they say is to use a stand mixer and a small amount of cream of tartar. Now, you can whip it using a hand mixer or even a food processor also.
Now, the easisest way to whip is to add cream of tartar and it helps the foam stay whipped for as long as possible and you don't have to rewhip.
Hoping this was useful information. Please do let me know your feedbacks and comments
Thank you so much. Happy experimenting. Stay healthy, stay happy!
Yummily, Vinitha
Comments