Plantain Akara: Bean and Plantain Fritters
Akara are golden bean fritters eaten for breakfast across West Africa. Adding ripe plantain to the batter gives them a soft, lightly sweet centre that children love.
Peeling beans is the slow part. Below we show the quick soak-and-rub method, and a shortcut using peeled bean flour, sold in African stores as ewa flour or moin-moin mix.
Tokunbo Kitchen recipe
Plantain Akara: Bean and Plantain Fritters
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- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- About 20 fritters
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the beans in water for 20 minutes. Rub them between your palms, or pulse briefly in a blender with water, to loosen the skins. Float off the skins and repeat until the beans are white.
- Blend the peeled beans with the onion and scotch bonnet, using as little water as possible, into a thick, smooth paste. If using bean flour, mix it with about 200 ml water instead.
- Mash the plantain until smooth and fold it into the bean paste with the salt.
- Whisk the batter hard for 2 to 3 minutes to add air. It should be fluffy and hold its shape on a spoon.
- Heat the oil to 175°C (350°F). Drop in spoonfuls of batter and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Cooking it abroad
- Bean flour: look for peeled black-eyed bean flour or moin-moin flour in African stores. It saves all the peeling.
- Plantain: the riper the better. Overripe plantains are often sold cheaply in Caribbean and Latin grocers.
- Serve with pap (ogi), custard, or soft bread for an akara sandwich.
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