Àkàrà (Bean Fritters With Ginger & Spring Onions)

SERVES 4

I adore àkàrà. These sumptuous, deep-fried fritters are enjoyed across West Africa and the diaspora. A true triumph for the humble black-eyed pea, they are known as koose in Northern regions and acarajé by custodians of West African culture in Brazil. I remember joyous mornings feasting on the classic duo of steaming hot àkàrà and Nigerian “pap”—a creamy custard made with fermented corn. In my version, ginger and spring onions add a little warmth and bite to the fritters. Àkàrà is wonderful served plain, stuffed in a baguette (as you’ll find them in Dakar, Senegal), or stuffed with chunks of spiced prawns and peppers, as enjoyed in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g dried black-eyed peas, unpeeled or peeled

• ½ medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

  Africana: More than 100 Recipes and Flavors Inspired by a Rich Continent Lerato Umah-Shaylor

• ½–1 scotch bonnet pepper, or 2–3 red chilies, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 1 red Romano or bell pepper, stemmed, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• ¾ tsp fine sea salt

• 1 large free-range egg, beaten

• 5 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

• Vegetable oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight in a large bowl filled with water.

2. Place the beans in a colander, drain, then rinse under running water. Tip into a food processor with the onion, scotch bonnet or chilies, red pepper and ginger and blend until smooth and thick. Pour in up to 60ml water to loosen the batter.

3. Pour into a bowl and add the smoked paprika, salt and egg and whisk vigorously for a few minutes. Gently fold in the spring onions.

4. Fill a nonstick frying pan with oil to a depth of about 2 inches and heat it to 350˚F. Scoop a heaped tablespoonful of batter and use a second tablespoon to help lower it into the oil, or use an ice cream scoop for ease. Repeat until you have a few fritters in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Fry in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp.

5. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot or at room temperature with Sauce Piment (see below).

Variation

Chickpeas or lentils are a great alternative to beans here. I always keep black-eyed pea, chickpea or gram flour handy for fritters, steamed puddings or for thickening sauces. For bean fritters, mix 200g bean or gram flour with 200–250ml water until thick and smooth, and blend with the remaining ingredients as above. If adding grated or finely chopped vegetables, be aware of the additional liquid content and fry them in very little oil for 3–5 minutes on each side. 

Sauce Piment: Chili Sauce

makes up to 2 200ml jars 

It was while living in francophone Benin Republic that I began to eat spicier foods. Sauce piment, which translates as “spicy/hot sauce,” is frequently served with fried sweet potatoes, yam chips, and many other dishes. Chili sauces are ubiquitous across Africa and come in many wonderful variations. Across East Africa, southern Africa and parts of central Africa, chili and chili sauce is known as pili pili, which means “pepper pepper,” now famously called “piri piri” across the world. Your chili sauce can be smooth or coarse, and as mild or as hot as you wish. You could also mix a variety of chilies for a nuanced flavor. Keep a jar handy to add to marinades and sauces, or to use as a dip. See page 22 for more about chilies. 

Fresh Chili Sauce

• 10 scotch bonnet peppers (mix of yellow and red), stemmed and deseeded

• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional)

• 1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled

• ¼ tsp ground grains of paradise or freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (optional)

• Vegetable or olive oil, to cover

  1. Combine all the ingredients except the vinegar and oil in a food processor and roughly chop to a coarse puree. Add the vinegar and some sea salt if using as a dip.

  2. Tip into an airtight container, top with enough oil to cover and store for up to 5 days. Use a clean spoon to scoop out the quantity needed, then top up with oil and secure the lid. 

Roasted Chili Sauce

• 2 red Romano or bell peppers, stemmed, deseeded, and halved, or 220g roasted red peppers from a jar

• 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered

• Vegetable or olive oil, for roasting, frying, and topping up

• 10 scotch bonnet peppers (yellow and red), stemmed and deseeded

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

• ¼ tsp ground grains of paradise or freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 ̊ F. 

2. If using fresh peppers, brush the pepper halves and onion with oil. Place the peppers cut side down on a baking tray next to the onion and roast for 30 minutes. 

3. Place the roasted veggies with the scotch bonnets, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and chop to a coarse puree.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based pan and pour in the puree. Season with the sea salt and grains of paradise or black pepper and fry over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Tip into an airtight container or jar, top with enough oil to cover and store for up to 5 days.

Variations:

For a fragrant chili paste known as pâte de piment in Madagascar, add 2 teaspoons ground makrut lime leaves. For a fragrant herb version, chop flat-leaf parsley or cilantro and mix it into the chili sauce. 

Excerpted from AFRICANA by Lerato Umah-Shaylor and reprinted with permission from Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2023.

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