Black Eyed Pea Fritters

The batch of black eyed peas I recently soaked expanded way more than anticipated and I ended up with more than would fit in my Instant Pot. Looking up recipes for black eyed pea fritters I serendipitously came across several recipes for Akara (or Accara) from West Africa. The recipe is pretty simple, but you do need to remove the skins from the peas which is a bit fiddly. The results were unexpectedly fluffy and delicious. Great for dipping in sauces or stuffing into sandwiches or wraps.

Ingredients

• 1 cup black eyed peas
  1/2 small to medium sized onion
  1-2 cloves garlic
  Spice as desired, I used about 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and red chile
  1 heaping teaspoon salt
  Oil for frying

Soak beans for at least three hours and up to overnight. Drain peas and squeeze handfuls to loosen skins. (You can also blitz the peas very quickly in food processor or blender, just to break into pieces and release skin). Cover peas with water and swish about to get skins to float to surface. Pick out skins. Repeat, the swishing and squishing to remove more skins. Drain gently so any extra skins float off. Repeat as needed until a majority of skins are removed. Drain and then add all ingredients to a blender or a food processor with a tablespoon or so of water. Blend, scraping down sides occasionally until mixture resembles a thick, gritty pancake batter or fluffy hummus, about one or two minutes. You can add a bit more water, if needed, to get mixture to blend properly but avoiding using too much. If the batter is too loose it will make flatter fritters, more like pancakes. They would still be delicious and you could even experiment with that approach as a gluten free pancake batter by omitting the onions and garlic.

Heat about 1/2″ to 1″ of oil in a small cast iron pan or heavy skillet. Heat just over medium temperature (my stove top was set to 6 on a dial from 1-9) to about 360 degrees, or until a small bit of batter sizzles instantly in oil. Use a large spoon to gently lower spoonfuls into hot oil. Avoid crowding the pan. Depending on heat and consistency of batter, fritters should take about 2-4 minutes to cook through. Flip each fritter when the bottom is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, metal tongs or fork when golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, the inside of a cereal box or paper bag. Dip into your favorite sauces or serve in sandwiches.

Submitted by Sara Jones, Tucson CSA