Akara

Name: Akara
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 400g Dried Black-Eyed Peas, about 2 cups; 1 medium Onion, roughly chopped; 1 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers, stemmed; adjust to heat preference; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 120ml Water, cold, for blending; 1 l Vegetable Oil, neutral; for deep-frying; Some Water, plenty for soaking/peeling

Akara are crisp-on-the-outside, soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside fritters made from seasoned black-eyed pea purée. Golden and aromatic, they make a perfect snack, breakfast side, or party finger food — spicy, savory, and utterly comforting.

Akara are crisp-on-the-outside, soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside fritters made from seasoned black-eyed pea purée. Golden and aromati... Show more

Traditional West African Recipe

Health Grade

A- · Excellent

Rating

4.1

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

0,27 €

Calories

513 kcal

vegan

budget

low calorie

easy

gluten free

low sugar

Method

Soak the peas

Pick through the Dried Black-Eyed Peas to remove any stones or broken bits, then rinse them well and cover them with plenty of Water in a bowl. Let them soak for 30 minutes, or until the skins start loosening and the peas look a little plumper.

Peel and drain

Drain off the soaking water, then rub the peas firmly between your palms in a bowl of fresh water. The loosened skins will float to the top; pour off that water, refill the bowl, and keep going until most of the peas are skinless. Drain them very well before blending.

Prep the aromatics

Roughly chop the Onion and stem the Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Use the full amount if you like a good kick, or hold back a little if you want a gentler heat.

Blend the batter

Add the peeled peas, chopped onion, stemmed peppers, Salt, and 120 ml cold water to a jug blender. Blend until you have a thick, smooth paste that still holds its shape on a spoon. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed so there are no big bits left, and keep the batter fairly stiff rather than runny.

Fry the akara

Pour the Vegetable Oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat it over medium heat until it reaches about 350° F or a small drop of batter sizzles right away. Working in batches, use two spoons to drop heaped spoonfuls of batter into the oil, leaving space around each one. Fry for 3 minutes, flip them carefully, then fry for 3 minutes more until the akara are puffed and deep golden brown on both sides.

Drain and serve

Lift the akara out with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels or a rack for a minute. Serve them warm while the outside is crisp and the inside is soft.