Acarajé
Acarajé is a dish from Bahia in the Northeast of Brazil. The roots are African. It is a fried dumpling
that is made only with black-eyed peas seasoned with onions and fried in dendê oil. In Edmonton you find
split black-eyed peas at the Excel African Store.
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Ingredients:
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- 500 grams of split black-eyed peas
- 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3 cups of dendê oil
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Procedure:
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- Soak the split black-eyed peas
- Put the split black-eyed peas in a very deep bowl and cover with plenty of water.
- Stir well and let it settle to the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a strainer remove any shells that float to the top.
- Keep stirring and removing shells until most of them are gone.
- Drain the water using a large strainer to separate the peas.
- Repeat the washing of the black-eyed peas two more times.
- Leave the split black-eyed peas soaking over night.
- Prepare the dough
- Peel and roughly chop the onion.
- Put chopped onion in the bowl of a large food processor, or blender, and process
until is is a liquid puree.
- Drain the split black-eyed peas very well and add to the food processor, or blender,
and process until you obtain a smooth paste.
- Add the grated onions and salt.
- Process to incorporate.
- Transfer the paste to the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Process in the standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, for several minutes until
the mixture double in volume
- Fry the Acarajés
- Pour the dendê oil in a large heavy bottom pan — you can add non-flavored oil,
such as Canola if you do not have enough Dendê.
- Heat up the oil until it is moderately hot (350 F).
- Using two large serving spoons form large clumps of the dough and drop in the hot
oil.
- Acarajé should fry in moderately hot oil for a fairly long time — the exact time
depend on the size of the acarajé.
- Once it got colour in one side, turn the acarajé. Keep turning from time to time
until it is a deep mahogany colour.
- Serve immediately after frying with vatapá and a sauce made of tomatoes, onions,
lime, cilantro and peppers.
