Akara are golden fritters made from black-eyed peas seasoned with onions and peppers. They are a popular breakfast food among Nigerian Americans, but they can be eaten at any time of day. This version is served with a tomato-pepper dipping sauce.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
25 minutes
+ 8 hours resting
+ 8 hours resting
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
8 hours 35 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Fritters:
- ½ lb dried black-eyed peas
- Water, for soaking
- 1 small onion
- 1 red pepper
- Salt, to taste
- White pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce:
Directions
- Wash and pick through the black-eyed peas. In a bowl, cover them with water to a depth of 2–3 inches. Allow them to soak overnight.
- After the peas have soaked, drain and rinse them. Remove the outer skin from the peas.
- Use a food processor to chop the onion and the red pepper. Add the peas and process until the mixture becomes a paste.
- Stir a dash of salt and white pepper into the paste. The mixture should have a firm but malleable consistency. If the paste is too thick, dribble water into the dough a little at a time, but be sure it does not become too soft to maintain its shape.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Using a spoon or a small scoop, drop small spoonfuls of dough into the hot oil. Fry each piece until it is crisp and golden. Drain the fritters on paper towels.
- To make the dipping sauce, use the food processor to chop the vegetables.
- Add the parsley, a dribble of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Pulse until the sauce is thick and semi-smooth.
For the Fritters:
For the Dipping Sauce:
Notes
Akara can be made with Nigerian brown beans, also called brown cowpeas.
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