These Bambara beans fritters are no-fail and have a golden brown outer crust with a soft and well-spiced centre. If you have ever had Acarajé or Koose or Akla then this is quite similar and incredibly delicious.
The blended texture for the Bambara beans fritters is very reminiscent of Akla, Koose, or Akara. If you are Ghanaian or Nigerian then those names will not necessarily be foreign to you. If you are Brazilian then think of Acarajé which is also quite similar.
Akla or Koose is made from black-eyed beans that have been soaked in water, peeled (this is so much work), blended, spiced, and deep-fried. It’s so deeply satisfying and eaten with porridge for breakfast in Ghana or just as a snack for in between. In Nigeria, it is also put into bread, sort of like a sandwich.
Bambara beans are also known as Bambara groundnuts are legumes which look a bit like chickpeas but without the pointy ends. Taste-wise, they're also different. If you’re interested in knowing a bit more on this legume then check out this informative paper or this Lost Crops of Africa excerpt.
I have only ever eaten Bambara beans made the regular way. It’s boiled until soft, made into a stew and then eaten either with tatale or kaaklo - fried, mashed overripe plantains that have been spiced with ginger, pepper and some other ingredients.
What do you do when you don't like Bambara beans the regular way? You either don’t eat it at all (which is what I do) or you switch it up (which is what I do in this recipe).
Ingredients
The cream coloured Bambara beans are widely eaten here in Ghana, but there is also a red variety, which I have never seen. As a young girl, my mum and and her siblings roasted Bambara beans, put them in salt water, and ate them as a snack.
For this recipe, you will need Bambara beans or groundnuts, onions, eggs, spring onions, dried red chilli peppers, fonio flour, and celery. See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients.
Instructions
Before the beans are blended or processed, they need to be soaked overnight or for about 24 hours. The beans are very hard and can be difficult to process in a food processor or blender without soaking them.
Blend the beans with a bit of water with red chillis, celery, eggs, white pepper, and spring onions, and a bit of fonio flour to bind it. Add some salt to taste and then deep fry in hot oil
Substitutions & Variations
- Regular wheat flour - you can substitute fonio flour with regular flour.
- No chillis - if you do not like peppery food you can omit the hot chilli peppers.
Storage
These fritters can be stored in the freezer for up to about a month. All you need to do is heat them in the oven whenever you're ready to eat and they are just as good as when fresh out of the oil.
Tips
- Without the flour, you get a lighter, fluffier texture but the flour helps bind the batter a bit so that it is easier to fry. All you want to look out for is a texture that holds up well in the hot oil.
- The addition of the flour (fonio or regular flour) is optional, however the flour does bring the batter together.
- Fonio flour is gluten free and therefore if you have a gluten intolerance, there is nothing to worry about here.
Bambara Beans Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 grams Bambara beans soaked in water for 24 hours and drained
- 2 medium eggs
- small stalk celery cut into smaller chunks
- 5 red chillies dried
- spring onions cut into smaller pieces
- ½ large onion
- 4 tablespoons fonio flour or regular flour optional
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except flour and process in a blender. Blend until no larger chunks are visible but not too fine.
- Add fonio flour and mix thoroughly to ensure that there are no lumps.
- Heat a pan or wok with oil for deep frying and use a small soup ladle or a tablespoon to scoop some of the batter into the hot oil.
- Fry the fritters for about 6-7 minutes making sure to turn down the heat about 2 minutes in, to prevent the fritters from being cooked on the outside but raw inside.
- Make sure not to crowd the pan and turn fritters over to get an even colour.
- Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Serve hot or warm.
Video
Notes
- If your blender or food processor is not too powerful then I would suggest blending the Bambara beans in small batches.
Adina Y Cohen says
My first time using Barbara bean and this recipe was super easy and delicious 😋
Thank you so much!
Edinam says
You're welcome, I'm glad you loved it!