Akara — Bean Fritters

Ingredients

• 2 cans white or black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed well
• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet or ½ jalapeño
• 1 egg (the canned-bean binder assist)
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt
• Neutral oil, for frying
• Bread or ogi/porridge alongside, Lagos-style

Method

1. Blitz the beans with the onion, chili, egg, flour, and salt into a thick, fluffy batter — traditional akara starts from peeled dried beans; the canned shortcut trades a little bounce for a lot of Tuesday-morning feasibility.
2. Beat the batter vigorously 1 minute to aerate — lightness lives here.
3. Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Drop in generous spoonfuls; they should sizzle and bob.
4. Fry 2–3 minutes per side to a deep russet brown, cooked through and steaming inside. Drain on a rack, salt while hot.
5. Eat hot with bread (the beloved akara sandwich) or beside porridge. Crisp shell, custardy middle, chili hum — street breakfast royalty.