While bean fritters are thought to have their origin in Nigeria, one can find them throughout West Africa. Inspired by the Black-Eyed Pea Fritters served at the Gambian-Cameroonian restaurant Bennachin, in New Orleans, chef and author Bryant Terry whipped up this dish.
Recipe from Bryant Terry's book Vegan Soul Kitchen. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. © 2009.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ½ cup raw peanuts
- 1 teaspoon minced thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 5 cups coconut oil (see note below)
- Hot pepper sauce
Directions
- Remove the skins from the beans by adding them to a large bowl, filling the bowl with water, agitating the beans, and fishing out the skins that float to the top with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse beans well.
- In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the beans, onion, peanuts, thyme, cayenne, vinegar, water, and salt and pulse until completely smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Remove the batter from the refrigerator, add the bell pepper and cornmeal, and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
- In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, warm the coconut oil until hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes. Lower the oil to medium high, and in batches of 5, spoon the batter into the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fry, stirring around, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If necessary, adjust the temperature to ensure that the fritters do not cook too quickly.
- Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate and allow them to drain. Transfer the drained fritters to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
- Serve hot with Hot Pepper Sauce
Nutrition Info
Black-eyed peas and other legumes are a healthy way of adding fiber and protein to your diet. Coconut oil, once seen as bad news, is now a staple in the cupboards of many health-conscious people. Check out this interesting
New York Times article about it.
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