Akara
Crisp outside, fluffy inside bean fritters, a classic West African breakfast and street snack.
- Time30 mins plus soaking
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.56 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Drain the soaked beans and rub them to loosen the skins. Rinse until most skins float off, then drain well.
- 2
Blitz the beans with the onion, chilli and just enough cold water to make a thick, fluffy paste.
- 3
Beat the paste hard with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. This traps air and makes the akara light. Stir in the pepper and ginger.
3 min - 4
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 180 C, or until a drop of batter floats and sizzles.
- 5
Drop in spoonfuls and fry in batches for 4 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown.
4 min - 6
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with pepper sauce or in a bread roll.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.