Name: Bean Fritters with Hot Sauce
Cook time: 45 min.
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: Makes about 40 fritters
Ingredients: 1 cup dried black-eyed peas; 2 red bell peppers, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 1 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile (with seeds); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried shrimp (optional), ground; 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped; 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile (with seeds); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon salt; 6 to 8 tablespoons water; 6 to 8 cups vegetable or peanut oil

These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koosé in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre.

Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).

Cooks' note:

Holding tablespoon about ‰ inch away from hot oil and gently dropping batter into oil will help form a uniform fritter.

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