I found this recipe courtesy of Pintrest. I was trying to find ways to use my dried black eyed peas and stumbled across this gem. It tastes exactly like the Bean Cakes my family used to enjoy when we lived in Mali, West Africa. Even more exciting since no one knew the ingredients or how to replicate them. My mother remembers them having pieces of hot scotch bonnet peppers mixed in the fritters from Mali and pieces of dried fish in the version from Cote d’Ivoire. Either way, these are delicious!
The original recipe for Accara can be found on saveur.com with the description, “Crisp, light-as-air fritters like these are a popular street snack throughout Senegal and the rest of west Africa. They’re usually accompanied by chile-hot, tomato-based kaani sauce.”
Bean Cakes (Accara or Black-Eyed Pea Fritters)
MAKES 30 FRITTERS
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the black-eyed peas in a large container or bowl and cover by at least 2 inches of water. Let soak for at least 12 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the skins from the peas. You can do this by massaging with your hands or by placing the peas in a blender and gently pulsing a few times to loosen. Rinse and massage the peas repeatedly until all the skins have been washed away. You should be left with perfectly white pieces. This step is time consuming but important.
3. Place peas, baking soda, onion, salt and pepper, and 3 tbsp. water in a blender and purée until smooth.
4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a pan or heat your deep fryer to 365°. Use two small spoons to drop tablespoon-sized balls of batter in oil and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with kaani sauce.
2. Remove the skins from the peas. You can do this by massaging with your hands or by placing the peas in a blender and gently pulsing a few times to loosen. Rinse and massage the peas repeatedly until all the skins have been washed away. You should be left with perfectly white pieces. This step is time consuming but important.
3. Place peas, baking soda, onion, salt and pepper, and 3 tbsp. water in a blender and purée until smooth.
4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a pan or heat your deep fryer to 365°. Use two small spoons to drop tablespoon-sized balls of batter in oil and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes.
5. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with kaani sauce.
Sosu Kaani (Chile Sauce)
MAKES 2 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
3 medium tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 Scotch bonnet chile, minced
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
3 medium tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 Scotch bonnet chile, minced
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat; add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized. Use gloves to chop the scotch bonnet pepper. Add to the pan with tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, until sauce is reduced and thickened. Our tomatoes did not add much water to the pan so cooking time was short.
2. Remove and discard bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Purée in a food processor or blender. If mixture is too thick, add water a teaspoon at a time. End result should be a thick paste. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
2. Remove and discard bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Purée in a food processor or blender. If mixture is too thick, add water a teaspoon at a time. End result should be a thick paste. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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