• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Analida's Ethnic Spoon

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home >> African

    Akara - West African Black Eyed Pea Fritters

    Modified: Aug 8, 2022 · Published: Mar 21, 2022 by Analida · • Word count:1271 words. • About 7 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links ·

    41 shares
    • 12
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Two photos of akara on a black plate with a text overlay.

    Fly to Brazil and they’re known as acaraje. For Ghanians, it's “akla” or “koose”. In Cameroon and Nigeria, they’re known as Akara or black eyed pea fritters. For consistency’s sake, we’ll be referring to this dish as Nigerian akara. Today, I’m teaching you how to make Akara with black eyed peas. In English, we refer to them as black eyed pea fritters. Akara is a popular breakfast meal vegetarian and vegan-friendly food from Africa. 

    A photo of West African black eyed pea fritters or Akara split in half on a black plate with habanero peppers and a black bowl.

    Jump to:
    • What is Akara?
    • History of Akara
    • How to make Akara
    • Ingredient Run-Down
    • Step by step photos to make Akara
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Akara - West African Black Eyed Pea Fritters

    What is Akara?

    Making akara is very simplistic but also creates a yummy, crispy and crunchy end product. With very few key ingredients, it’s easy to throw together. At its core is pureed black eyed peas, with pepper, onion, salt and pepper added to the blend. After it comes together in the blender or food processor and whipped, you’re ready to fry up some akara! You can serve it with bread, stews, and more. 

    History of Akara

    Akara originated in Nigeria, but made its way to many different countries in West Africa and all the way to Brazil. When enslaved West Africans were forced to leave their homelands, they brought this delicious recipe to Brazil with them. Over time, Brazilians started calling it acaraje. Brazilian acaraje is a popular dish in the country and is one of the more accessible Brazilian vegetarian meals. 

    An overhead photos of West African black eyed pea fritters or Akara in a black bowl with onions and habaneros.

    How to make Akara

    We start the recipe with soaking your dried black eyed peas for 1-2 hours so they moisten up and expand to their proper size. They’ll soften and be easier to blend up if you soak them. If you don’t have that much time, soak for as long as you can, but be wary that they may be hesitant to break apart in the food processor. 

    After the peas are soft and the skins loose rub them together to remove the skids.  See the photos below on pouring off the skins that will float to the top.  Once skinned blend them together with all the other ingredient into a batter, whip in your stand mixer to make them light and add some air.  Heat your frying oil, then when the oil is hot, scoop the batter into a ball and drop into the oil. You’ll fry them until golden brown and let them cool on a paper towel to absorb the oil. Voila, you have fried akara balls! It’s really that easy, which is always a good thing in my book. 

    Ingredient Run-Down

    You probably have the majority of ingredients in your pantry already. I always have a bag of onions on hand since I use them so often. The two ingredients you may not have on hand are habanero peppers and black eyed peas, the star ingredient of akara. 

    Like I mentioned, this akara recipe is simple with few ingredients, but you can make it more difficult with expectations of better texture depending on how much effort you want to put in. Black eyed peas are easy to find at grocery stores these days, but the traditional akara recipe recommends you purchase black eyed peas with the shells still on. Obviously, shelling the peas will be a tedious task, but I’ve heard it yields more crunch than pre-shelled peas. 

    Brazilian acaraje incorporates shrimp into the fritters. So if you want more flavor and protein, consider adding some shrimp to this akara recipe. You’ll make the akara exactly as stated in the recipe, but you’ll use the fritters as a sort of “bread” to hold together the filling of shrimp, chili powder, onion, and olive oil. Of course, note that if you choose to use shrimp, the vegetarian acaraje recipe wouldn’t be vegetarian rather it would be pescetarian!

    Step by step photos to make Akara

    A collage of photos showing the steps to make West African black eyed pea fritters or akara.
    1. Gather all your ingredients and have them ready to go.
    2. Soak the peas for at least 2 hours and keep them covered with water. You may need to add more water after they swell up so check them after a while and add more water if needed.
    3. Rub the peas together in the palms of your hands using a lot of force to break off the skins. Don't worry about breaking the peas into pieces.
    4. The skins will float so pour them off the top. Add more water and keep breaking the skins off. Repeat until all the skins have been removed.
    5. Drain all the water off and place the peas in a food processor. Pulse until the peas are broken down.
    6. Add the onion, habanero, water, pepper, salt to taste and any other flavors you want to add.
    7. Place the batter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Scooping with a standard ice cream scoop with give you about a ¼ cup portion for each.
    8. Drop into frying oil that has been heated to 350°F. Fry until golden brown on one side and then flip over. Serve hot.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long can I store the akara in the refrigerator?

    Once they have completely cooled you can store this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place them in an airtight container or zip top bags.

    How can I reheat the akara?

    Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes until warm in the center. I like to put them in my Cosori Air Fryer for 5 minutes at 250°F.

    Can I freeze the akara?

    Yes, you can freeze these for up to two months in an airtight container after they are completely cooled. Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 10-12 minutes or 10 minutes in an air fryer at 250°F until warm in the center.

    If you are interested in exploring more recipes from this region I can suggest a few. African Pepper Chicken Soup with is a spicy hot dish with a dumpling like mashed yucca balls called fufu. Another spicy dish is West African Jollof Rice that brings the heat of habaneros. A more mild dish with tons of flavor is West African Peanut Stew which is a nice vegetarian dish.

    Looking for more recipes?   Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week!  You can also find me sharing more inspiration in Pinterest and Facebook

    A photo of Akara on a black plate.

    Akara - West African Black Eyed Pea Fritters

    A crispy outside and soft middle make these tasty West African fritters so delicious!
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer/Snack
    Cuisine: African
    Keyword: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 68kcal
    Author: Analida Braeger

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups black eyed peas
    • 2 habanero peppers seeded and cored (substitute ¼ tsp cayenne pepper)
    • 1 onion large, roughly chopped
    • ½ tsp salt to taste
    • ¼ tsp white pepper optional
    • ¼ tsp garlic powder optional
    • ¼ tsp smoked paprika optional
    • ¾ cup water
    • oil for frying

    Instructions

    Preparing the black eyed peas:

    • Soak the peas for 1-2 hours in a large bowl and cover them with water, longer is better for a softer smoother batter.
    • Rub the peas together in the palms of your hands with a good amount fo force to break up and remove this skins.
    • The skins will float on the water and you can pour them off and add more water as you go. Repeat until all the skins have been removed from the peas.

    Prepare the batter:

    • Drain and rinse the peas then add to a food processor. Heat up the oil to 350°F while preparing the batter.
    • Add the onion, habanero, salt, pepper and any optional flavors like garlic powder, smoked paprika etc to the food processor. Add just enough water bring the batter together.
    • Blend until smooth then add to the bowl of a stand mixer.
    • Whisk the batter on high until it is fluffy for 3-5 minutes.

    Frying the Akara

    • Drop ¼ cup scoops of the batter into the oil. A standard half sphere type ice cream scoops works well for this.
    • Flip them and fry unit golden brown.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

    You might also like to try these:

    • Avocado, Black Beans, Queso Fresco Empanadas
      Delicious vegetarian empanadas with avocado, black beans and queso fresco. A nice crunchy Latin pastry with creamy avocado filling! Que Rico! | ethnicspoon.com
    • Black Bean Plantain Empanadas
      A photo of black bean and plantain empanadas in a wooden platter.
    • Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas
      You will love these vegetarian spicy black bean enchiladas! Like Mexican food? These are bursting with flavor: Cumin, garlic, onions, cilantro, cheddar, green onion, tomato & queso fresco. Plus my enchilada sauce recipe too! | ethnicspoon.com
    « Lebanese Cheese Fatayer
    Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce »
    41 shares
    • 12

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Analida profile pictureI have been researching and creating ethnic recipes for over 20 years. I love to share "mostly healthy" easy and affordable ethnic recipes using fresh ingredients, with a bit of culture and food history sprinkled in.... Read more-->

    Monthly Featured - Cuban Food

    • A photo of ropa vieja in a striped bowl with tostones on the side.
      Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja Recipe
    • A photo of pastelitos de guava on a green plate with coffee cup in the background.
      Pastelitos de Guava
    • A photo of Cuban boliche on a white platter with fried plantains on the side.
      How to Make Cuban Boliche
    • A photo of vaca frita on a white plate with caramelized onions and slices limes.
      Cuban Vaca Frita - Latin Style Flank Steak

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Recipe Index

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Our site contains affiliate links to help maintain our publishing activities. If you make a purchase from a link on our site, we may receive a small percentage of that sale, at no extra cost to you. Ethnicspoon.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Copyright © 2025 Website managed by SiteCare.com