Black-Eyed Bean Fritters
- Selena Bean
- Aug 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 16
Wow it smells fabulous in here. We have just finished a delicious lunch based on a recipe that I found in the old wholefood cookery bible that I have had since 1983. The recipe, called Akara (in Africa) and Akkra (in Jamaica) in this book by Tess Mallos, calls for raw, soaked black-eyed beans with the addition of lashings of onion, garlic, ginger and chili. The whole lot are ground up until they become a sloppy, yet malleable paste. Spoonfuls are fried for a few minutes and the crisp biscuit-like pancakes make a fabulous little appetizer served with your favourite dip or sauce. The recipe actually called for deep frying so I suspect they may be meant to be shaped in balls. Anyway, I didn't feel like doing or eating deep frying so I found that flat and shallow fried worked just fine
I served them as a meal with a generous helping of leafy greens dressed simply with some olive oil, a spoonful of tabouleh, a blob of hummus, and a wee dollop of unsweetened Greek yoghurt. If they're not spicey enough, 1/2 tsp of hot sriracha sauce won't hurt surely!?
If you didn't know it you might think you were eating some type of sausage. You could adjust the spices and seasoning to suit yourself. If you don't like chili, don't put it in. I'm inclined to do a bit more experimenting with this recipe and feel it could be adapted to suit any cuisine.
Follow this simple recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below.
1
Soaking time
I soaked the beans for about 24 hours in the fridge. No fermenting occured.
2
Shape of Patties
They do not have to be perfect around the edges. As they flatten the edges tend to split. Don't worry, those bits get lovely and crispy.
When flattening them in the pan, ensure they don't have a hollow in the middle from the back of the spoon. The dent remains on turning and the hollow does not brown.
3
Oil
You can choose your own preferred oil.
Notes
1
*Soak the beans in water in a cool dark place for a minimum of 6 hours (see note)
*Rinse and drain the beans
*Put the beans into the food processor.
*Add the finely chopped onion, crushed garlic and ginger.
*Process on high speed stopping the machine often to scrape down the edges with a rubber spatula
*Repeat until the beans are well ground and have formed a fluffy paste. (it will still be a bit grainy)
2
*Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan. Reduce to a medium heat
*Carefully place blobs of batter into the hot oil and flatten with the back of the spoon.
*Turn the patties when the edges start to show brown 2-3 minutes
*Cook the other side for the same length of time or until golden brown
*Drain on a paper towel
Instructions
2 pints water
1 cup black eyed beans
Prepare Beans
1 small onion finely chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
2-3 chilies
salt and pepper
Make batter for fritters
Black-Eyed Bean Fritters
Chef, R&D, Photographer, Author
Selena Bean
Crisp little pancakes with a spicey kick. Perfect as an appetizer or a satisfying protein component of a meal.
Servings :
Makes 16 fritters
Calories:
Prep Time
20 min
Cooking Time
10 min
Rest Time
min 6 hours of bean soaking
Total Time
30 mins
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