Acarajes – Fried Bean Croquettes
Acarajés are iconic street-food fritters from Bahia, Brazil, made from peeled black-eyed peas blended with onion and seasoning, then fried in fragrant dendê (palm) oil until crisp and golden. Split open and filled with vatapá and fresh garnish, they are deeply savoury, aromatic and texturally rich, balancing crunch, spice and creaminess.
- 50 min
- DIFFICULT
- 10 portions
- SHELLFISH, PALM OIL
Estimated Nutrition per Portion
Estimated Nutrition per Portion
- 390 kcal Calories
- 14 g Protein
- 32 g Carbohydrates
- 24 g Fat
- 7 g Fibre
- 3 g Sugar
Ingredients
| Quantity | Prep Instructions | ||
| Imperial | Metric | ||
| Dried black eyed peas | 3 cups | 225 g | |
| Onion | 2 cups | 170 g | Chopped |
| Dried shrimp | 2 tbsp | 30 ml | |
| Salt | To taste | ||
| Ground black pepper | To taste | ||
| Dendê oil | As needed | ||
| Vatapa | |||
| FOR THE GARNISH | |||
| Tomato | 1/4 cup | 21 g | Seeded, finely diced |
| Green bell pepper | 1/4 cup | 21 g | Seeded, finely diced |
| Onion | 1/4 cup | 21 g | Finely diced |
| Cilantro | 1 tsp | 5 ml | Chopped |
| Molho de Acaraje | |||
Method
- Soak the peas overnight covered in several inches of water.
- Drain the peas and put them in a food processor. Lightly pulse a few times to loosen the skins.
- Place the peas in a bowl with fresh water, agitate them and pour off the water into a sieve discarding the loosened skins. Repeat this process until all the skins have been removed.
- Purée the peeled peas, onion and dried shrimp in the food processor until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Shape the mixture into small balls, flatten them a little with your hands.
- Fry them in dendê oil until golden brown and crispy. Leave to drain on absorbent paper.
- Split the fritters in half leaving a hinge uncut on one side and fill with vatapa.
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FOR THE GARNISH:
- Mix the tomato, pepper, onion, and cilantro together.
- Garnish the fritters with chopped vegetables, dried shrimp and pickled malagueta peppers
- To serve: Serve with Molho.
