Akara is a delicious snack and a popular breakfast staple in Nigeria. It is also called Koose in Ghana or black-eyed pea fritters. This recipe is one of the easiest vegetarian or vegan-friendly Nigerian food. Let me show you how to make the best Akara that is fluffy, pillowy and delicious.
Akara Recipe
I recently made a post on how to peel beans using a blender. I made some Akara and even preserved some leftover peeled beans for later in the freezer. Akara is a very popular meal and street food in Nigeria. In fact, it is readily available almost everywhere you turn to and also served on special occasions too. It is also called Acaraje in Brazil, this recipe is not only significant to Nigerians alone, but it is very popular in the whole of West Africa. There are similarities in the way they are as well.
Koose is made from peeled beans blended with scotch bonnet and onions, it is seasoned with salt and deep-fried. It can be eaten as an accompaniment with breakfast or eaten as snacks. I love to eat mine with akamu, porridge or Agege bread. This recipe can be made vegetarian or vegan
People love to make Koose/akara but find the peeling process tedious. Life is now so good and easy as with some kitchen hacks, you can make it without having to peel the beans and if you decide to peel, this blender method makes life in the kitchen fun.
Ingredients
2 cups of peeled beans (depending on the size of people you are proving for)
1 big onion
2 scotch bonnet chillies
salt
Little water to blend
Vegetable oil for frying
Tips for making the best akara (Koose)
- Blend the beans with very little water, too much water would result in flat or no akara (hahaha)
- Incorporate air into the bean batter before frying using a whisk or wooden spoon
- Regulate the hotness of the oil when frying. If the oil is too hot, it will burn the bean fritters and may result in false cooking which will make the inside undercooked
How to make akara
Pro tips: you don't blend the beans with much water, you need to achieve a thick batter, not a runny one.
Blend peeled beans with onions, scotch bonnet and water to form a thick batter
To achieve a very fluffy akara/koose, you need to beat it to incorporate air into it. This can be achieved by using a wooden ladle and turning it clockwise until you achieve a lighter batter. If you have a hand mixer, feel free to use it as this was what I used and it cuts down the amount of time you have to spend in the kitchen. Cooking is fun!
add salt to taste. Some people like bouillion seasoning of choice in their akara but I don't use it.
Place a frying pan on medium heat, add about 2 cups of oil and heat till hot. Test the oil by putting a tiny bit of batter in it. The oil should sizzle and batter should float on top, the oil is ready to use
Scoop batter in bits to the ready hot oil, reduce the heat and cook on each side till golden brown
Repeat the process till you exhaust the whole batter
Serve with Akamu (pap), garri, Koko or Agege bread. You can even make Akara burger. It is very delicious
Why not try this recipe with coconut-semolina (Carribean cornmeal).
How to make coconut semolina porridge
You will need semolina powder, coconut milk, coconut shaving (optional), sugar or honey
Simply cook semolina flour (mix with water to form a light paste before adding to coconut milk) with coconut milk/coconut shavings on medium heat, add milk and sugar to taste. I can authoritatively tell you that ‘It makes mega-sense’ and utterly delicious.
If you have enjoyed and tried this easy recipe, don't forget to leave feedback, #myactivekitchen on Instagram. Enjoy and see you on my next post x
Akara
Ingredients
- 2 cups of peeled beans
- 1 big onion chopped
- 2 scotch bonnet chillies
- 1 tsp salt use more if need be
- Little water to blend
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Blend peeled beans with onions, scotch bonnet and water to form a thick batter
- To achieve a very fluffy akara, you need to beat it to incorporate air into it. This can be achieved by using a wooden ladle and turning it clockwise until you achieve a lighter batter. If you have a hand mixer, feel free to use it as this was what I used and it cuts down the amount of time you have to spend in the kitchen. Cooking is fun!
- add salt to the bean batter to taste. Some people like bouillion seasoning in their akara but I don't use it
How to fry akara
- Place a frying pan on medium heat, add about 2 cups of oil and heat till hot. Test the oil by putting a tiny bit of batter in it. The oil should sizzle and batter should float on top, the oil is ready to use
- Scoop batter in bits to the ready hot oil, reduce the heat and cook on each side till golden brown
- Repeat the process till you exhaust the whole bean batter
- Serve immediately with Akamu (pap), garri or bread (make akara burger).
Notes
Tips for making the best akara
• Blend the beans with very little water, too much water would result in flat or no akara (hahaha) • Incorporate air into the bean batter before frying using whisk or wooden spoon • Regulate the hotness of the oil when frying. If the oil is too hot, it will burn the akara and the inside will be undercooked.DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #MYACTIVEKITCHEN OR TAG @MYACTIVEKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
Should i add pepper to the ingredients for the akara? Or should i replace the boonet chillie with ordinary fress red pepper or use both? Thanks
By fresh pepper, do you mean habanero (ata rodo)? Yes, you can add pepper to akakra. Thanks and kindly let me know how you get on.
Nice meal babes!weldone
Thanks dear.