Majority of people who grew up in the northern part of Nigeria must have had their own Tiger nut-eating phase.Tiger nuts are pretty much always in season in Nigeria. Every mallam’s wheel barrow you pass through in the market pretty much has “Aya” in it.I’m not sure how many people got to taste the dry and sugary ones, but OMG! They were heavenly! I’m not even exaggerating one bit. 😐 I’m not sure why I don’t get to see them anymore unlike I used to while growing up. The wet ones are actually not bad as well. They definitely have more juice than the dried ones,hence the ability to extract milk from them.Now, let me explain how simple it is to make Tiger nut milk following some very simple and stress free steps. Some of you may be thinking “what’s the connection between Tiger nut and milk though?”. Well, it is actually quite milky in nature,we just don’t see it because we only chew them till they are dried out without necessarily swallowing them.
Ingredients
400g – 600g of Wet Tiger nuts
1 – 2 Cups of Water
Coconut,ginger or dates (Optional)
Preparation
- If the Tiger nuts are very strong, soak it them in water for about 24 hours in order to make the remaining process easy. If otherwise,move to the next step.
- Rinse nuts thoroughly in water and dispose bad ones.
- Pour nuts into blender
- Add water and blend on high speed. For extra flavor, add seedless dates, ginger or coconut if desired.Dates give the milk more taste, thereby reducing the need to add sugar,sweetener or honey.
- Pour mixture into a tight sieve and strain till all the milk is out and the chaff is almost completely dried out.
- Refrigerate
Health Benefits of Tiger nuts
- Tiger nuts are Rich in Vitamin E which improves fertility in both men and women.
- They help in controlling blood pressure due to the high amino acid they contain.
- Tiger nuts are a good source of magnesium which helps in promoting muscle and nerve function as well as supporting the immune system.
- They are very good non-meat source of protein.
Nkataa Recommendation : Tiger nuts, Dates, Sugar, coconut,ginger
