Let's Fry Akara (Bean Cake) - Complete Guide!

Hello foodie lovers, have you ever heard of or eaten Akara? Yes? No? Whether you have or haven't, by the time you finish reading this post, you'll learn a thing or two about Akara and how to prepare it. So join me.

Akara is one of the many foods made from beans. It is a popular Nigerian staple cuisine particularly among the Yoruba people, but is now widely enjoyed by other tribes.

Akara is a delicious, nutritious, healthy meal. It's also a vegetarian friendly meal, good for the young and aged alike. It can be eaten as a snack with pepper and onion sauce or served with a side of cereal, pap, bread or garri (cassava flakes). Akara can be enjoyed at any time. You can never go wrong with a hot akara and pap on a rainy morning 😋. In fact Akara is a filling breakfast option that's also relatively affordable and easy to make.

Process Of Preparing Akara

The process of frying Akara is very simple and requires just a few ingredients and some basic cooking skills. Here's a step-by-step guide.

Ingredients

Dried beans, either brown or black-eyed beans (known as beans akara) - desired quantity.


Brown beans	Black eyed beans (beans akara

Sizeable onion
Salt to taste
Pepper - fresh pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, as desired.
Vegetable oil
Water, as needed

Procedure

Wash, Soak And Dehull The beans
Wash the dried beans and soak them in warm water for about 5 - 10 minutes. Some do soak theirs for longer period, say 1- 2 hours.

Once the time elapse, drain the water and then dehull. You can either use a mortar and pestle to lightly pound the beans and loosen the hulls or do so with your hands by squeezing the beans.


mortar and pestle	with hands

After that, sieve continuously until the hulls or seed coat are entirely removed from the beans.

Blend The Beans
Next is to blend the dehulled beans with a little water until you get a smooth, thick paste. Add fresh pepper, bell pepper and the onion, if you prefer it blended. You can use a blender or food processor to do this. Once blended, pour in a bowl or mortar.

Mash The Bean Paste
Turn or mash the bean paste rigorously to form a smooth, thick, and slightly sticky or elastic texture perfect for forming into akara balls. This is to make the paste easy to scoop and shape into balls. Also when fried, it will have a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior.
Add salt, chopped onion, cayenne pepper, black pepper, (if using) to the bean paste. Mix well. Adjust the quantity of spices and onion to your taste.

Frying The Akara
Pour the vegetable oil in a frying pan or pot and heat over medium heat.
Using your hand, a spoon or a mold, scoop the bean paste into the hot oil, forming small, round shapes.

Allow the akara balls to fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they're golden brown and crispy.
Remove the akara balls from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Serve

Serve the akara hot with your favorite toppings, such as pap, garri, bread, or cereal.

Go ahead and enjoy your delicious fluffy akara!

Here's a short video I recorded while frying the akara which I published on Threespeak

Tips

Use a non-stick pan to prevent the akara from sticking.
Don't overcrowd the pan, as this can cause the akara to break apart. Fry in batches if necessary.
Be careful while frying to avoid hot oil spilling.

I hope this process helps you to make your own delicious akara. I'd love to hear about your experience! Thank you.

This post is submitted for #januaryinleoday21.