AKARA (Bean Fritters/Bean Cakes) Recipe

You are yet to complete your foodie bucket list if you missed adding this nutritious and delicious bean fritter recipe called akara by people of West Africa and acarajé in Brazil. Akara is made out of peeled, blended beans and other condiments.

You know how different cultures have foods that families come together to enjoy on specific days of the week or year, akara was a staple in many households on Saturday mornings growing up. We would all gather together enjoying akara alongside a creamy bowl of custard or cornmeal (pap).

Switch your taste with this recipe on How to Make Authentic Birria Tacos (Beef Birria Tacos)

AKARA (Bean Fritters/Bean Cakes) Recipe

Successfully making akara does require a few tips which I will be sharing in full in this post #nogatekeeping. The type of beans used to make it is called honey beans which have a distinctly sweet taste compared to other types of beans. The beans are peeled either by hand or using the pulse button on your blender.

I have seen recipes that have skipped the peeling step and I tried it, however, the akara balls ended up very dense in texture compared to the ones I am used to having. 

In the absence of honey beans, other legumes can be used such as lentils or black-eyed peas, however, I cannot guarantee it will yield the same taste as the honey beans. The peeled ones (frozen) should be easy to source at your local African store.

The peeled beans are blended with peppers, onions, eggs, and seasonings till smooth. It is important to mind the amount of water added when blending as you need the batter to be thick.

The blending process helps to incorporate air into the mix and gives it that soft and airy texture. The batter is then scooped in equal portions using a spoon and deep fried in oil. For this recipe, I added some flaky salmon to my batter, this can be substituted for any other light protein such as dry ground shrimp or simply prepared plain.

Any attempt to add protein in big chunks (like chicken) will prevent the batter from holding together in the hot oil. Akara is traditionally taken with some pap or custard, but if you want to amplify your experience, have it with some creamy oatmeal or warm buttery brioche. 15 minutes.

Explore other savoury recipes such as The Best Banana Bread Recipe Ever!

AKARA (BEAN FRITTER/CAKE) RECIPE

Akara Recipe

Successfully making akara does require a few tips which I will be sharing in full in this article. Learn from this Akara Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine West African

Servings 2

Calories 109 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cup of honey beans peeled and rinsed
• 1 crimson pepper/red bell pepper deseeded
• 1 scotch bonnet optional
• 1/2 large white onion/1 small white onion
• 2 eggs
• salt to taste
• 1 bouillon cube
• flaked tuna or salmon
• 4-6 Tbsp of water
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

 

• Combine your peeled beans, deseeded pepper, scotch bonnet and onion in a blender, add in 3 tablespoons of water and roughly blend.
• Add in the 2 eggs, salt and half of the bouillon cube into the mix and continue to blend for about 2 minutes as this will allow more air to be incorporated into the batter.
• Transfer the batter into a bowl, add in the flaked fish.
• Heat up oil in a large skillet for deep frying, this may range anywhere between 5-10 cups of oil depending on the depth of the skillet. Heat the oil to 400F.
• Use a spoon to scoop portions of batter into the oil, ensure that one portion is not too close to the other to prevent the bean balls from sticking together when frying.
• The bean balls will rise to the surface of the oil, let it fry for 2-3 minutes till you start to see the sides browning, when light brown, flip over to the other side and let it continue to fry till the bean balls are light brown and crisp all over.
• Line your sieve or colander with paper towel, whisk out the fried bean balls from the oil and transfer to the sieve, let the paper towel soak up any excess oil. Continue on to fry the next batch and repeat till the batter is finished.
• Let it cool slightly and enjoy alone or with some creamy oatmeal/cornmeal.

Video

Notes

Tips

• If you do not possess a cooking thermometer, drop in a little scoop of the batter into the hot oil and see if it rises to the surface, if it sinks and stays at the bottom of the oil, the oil is not hot enough, give it more time to heat up. It is ready only when the batter rises to the surface sizzling.
• As you begin frying the bean balls, alternate between high and medium heat to prevent the balls from cooking only on the outside.

Keyword AKARA (BEAN FRITTER/CAKE) RECIPE