These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koos in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre.
Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).
Active time: 45 min. Start to finish: 1 hr
Ingredients
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
For hot sauce
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile (with seeds)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried shrimp (optional), ground
For fritters
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile (with seeds)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
6 to 8 tablespoons water
6 to 8 cups vegetable or peanut oilv
Preparation
Prepare peas: Soak peas in water to cover by 2 inches for 8 hours. Drain in a colander.
Make sauce: Pur e bell peppers, onion, tomato, chile, and salt in a food processor.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pur e over moderate heat, stirring, about 8 minutes. Stir in ground shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Make fritters: Pur e drained peas, onion, and chile in a food processor until as smooth as possible and blend in egg and salt. Blend in 6 tablespoons water until smooth and fluffy, adding remaining 2 tablespoons water if necessary to form a batter just thin enough to drop from a spoon.
Fry fritters: Heat 2 inches oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or a wide 4-inch-deep heavy pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375 F, then gently drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil, forming 8 fritters. Fry until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Make more fritters in same manner, returning oil to 375 F between batches.
Cooks' note:
Holding tablespoon about inch away from hot oil and gently dropping batter into oil will help form a uniform fritter.
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