Akara (Bean Fritters)

Akara's are traditionally fried in palm oil but you can use half palm oil and half vegetable oil or replace it all together with vegetable oil. If you don't wish to remove the skins from the black eye beans simply puree them in a food processor thoroughly.

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4-6 Portions

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Prep: 15 minutes plus 6-8 hours soaking of the beans
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Akara

250g black-eye beans
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 onion small onion, chopped
150ml water
maldon salt
palm oil or vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

Preparation: Pick over the black eye beans removing any bad ones. Soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight in cold water.
Drain the beans and rub them between the palms of your hands to remove the skins from the beans. Pour water over the beans and the skins will rise to the top, remove them and drain the beans thoroughly.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, wok or deep fryer to 180°-190°C.
Place the beans with the chilies and onions in a food processor and puree them to a smooth paste. Place the mixture into a bowl and stir in the water gradually with a wooden spoon until you have a thick paste that falls easily from the spoon and is not to runny. Season the mixture with a little salt to taste.
Deep fry a tablespoon of the mixture at a time in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are golden. Drain the akara on kitchen paper and keep them warm until ready to serve.