Akkara Balls Recipes

AKKARA BALLS

Steps:

• Soak the blackeyed beans overnight (if using dried).
• Next day, if any water is left in the soaked beans, drain it.
• Now, in a blender, grind the beans with salt to taste and black pepper until beans become like a paste.
• Grind until there it is a thick paste but still bit coarse.
• Add little water if needed to make paste.
• Now heat oil in frying pan.
• When oil is hot, scoop one spoonful of paste into oil, repeat until there is no space for more scoops.
• Turn occasionally and remove from oil when brownish in color.
• Ready to serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.

AKARA

Steps:

• Soak peas overnight in lots of water. Drain. Peel the outside skin from the peas.
• In a processor, pulse the 1 onion and red pepper to coarsely chop. Add soaked peas and puree to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and using a whisk, whisk the mixture adding salt, white pepper and just a little soaking liquid -- not too much as the mixture needs to retain its shape for frying.
• Using an ice cream scoop, form into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Drop into a pot of hot olive oil, heated to 360 degrees F. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Season again with salt and pepper.
• Make a quick dipping sauce by pulsing 2 seeded tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green pepper and some parsley in food processor. Add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. It should be a little chunky, but smooth enough to stick to the fried akara.