Acarajé

Name: Acarajé
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 500g Dried Black-Eyed Peas, feijão-fradinho; 1 medium Onion, roughly chopped; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 l Dendê Oil, red palm, for frying; 6 slices of White Bread, day-old, about 200 g, crusts removed; 400ml Coconut Milk; 50g Roasted Peanuts, unsalted; 50g Cashews, unsalted; 50g Dried Shrimp, ground; 1 small Onion, chopped; 2 cloves of Garlic, chopped; 1 tsp Ginger, fresh, grated; 1 1/2 Malagueta Chilies, chopped, optional, to taste; 2 tbsp Dendê Oil; 1 tsp Salt, to taste; 300g Okra, sliced; 1 small Onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of Garlic, minced; 2 tbsp Dried Shrimp, ground; 2 tbsp Dendê Oil; 1 tbsp Lime Juice; 100ml Water; 1/2 tsp Salt, to taste; 2 Tomatoes, diced; 1 small Onion, finely diced; 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped; 1 tbsp Lime Juice; 100g Whole Dried Shrimp, camarão seco, for stuffing; 7 Malagueta Chilies; 120ml White Vinegar

Acarajé is a beloved Brazilian street food: crisp, golden fritters made from mashed black-eyed peas and fried in fragrant palm oil, split open and piled with creamy vatapá, tangy caruru, fresh vinagrete and a fiery dried-shrimp sauce. Each bite delivers a wonderful contrast of crunchy exterior, soft, savory interior, and layers of nutty, spicy and citrusy toppings — perfect for sharing or enjoying hot off the pan.

Acarajé is a beloved Brazilian street food: crisp, golden fritters made from mashed black-eyed peas and fried in fragrant palm oil... Show more

Traditional Brazilian Recipe

Health Grade

A- · Excellent

Rating

4.2

Time

2 hrs

Price

2,97 €

Calories

1126 kcal

healthy

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Soak the peas

Put the Dried Black-Eyed Peas in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of Water. Leave them to soak overnight until the skins loosen and the peas plump up.

Mix the hot sauce

Finely chop the Malagueta Chilies and Garlic. Whisk them with the White Vinegar, Salt, and Dendê Oil until the sauce looks glossy and lightly emulsified, then set it aside.

Blend the vatapá

Tear the White Bread into pieces and soak it in about half of the Coconut Milk for 5 minutes, just until soft. Transfer it to a blender with the Roasted Peanuts, Cashews, Dried Shrimp, chopped Onion, garlic, and Ginger, pour in the remaining coconut milk, and blend until you have a very thick, creamy paste.

Cook the vatapá

Scrape the paste into a saucepan and stir in the dendê oil. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vatapá is hot, silky, and thick enough to hold a spoon mark. Add a little salt if needed, and loosen it with a splash more coconut milk if it gets too stiff.

Cook the caruru

Put the Okra, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, ground dried shrimp, dendê oil, Lime Juice, Water, and salt in a skillet or saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the okra is very tender and the sauce has thickened. If it looks dry before the okra softens, add a small splash more water.

Mix the vinagrete

Combine the Tomato, diced onion, Cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir gently, then let it sit while you finish the fritters so the onion softens and the flavors meld.

Peel the peas

Drain the soaked peas, then rub them between your hands under running water to loosen the skins. Skim off and discard the skins as they float away, rinse the peas a couple more times, and drain them very well.

Blend the batter

Put the peeled peas in a blender with the chopped onion and salt. Blend in batches if needed until the mixture is thick, smooth, and airy — it should mound on a spoon instead of pouring like a batter.

Deep-fry the acarajé

Pour the Dendê Oil into a deep, heavy pot until it comes several inches up the sides and heat it over medium-high. Working in batches, shape the pea paste into oval fritters with two spoons or lightly oiled hands, then lower them carefully into the hot oil and fry for 4 minutes per side, turning once, until puffed and deep golden brown.

Assemble and serve

Split each acarajé open down one side and stuff it with vatapá and caruru. Top with the Whole Dried Shrimp, spoon over the vinagrete and hot sauce, and serve immediately while the shells are crisp and the fillings are warm.