Anyone who grew up in a Nigerian family knows what Akara is. Nigerian Akara is a delicious way to cook beans and can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a spicy snack throughout the day. Find out how to make Akara the classic way!
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1. How to make Nigerian Akara
The Nigerian Akara recipe is rather easy to make and requires only 5 ingredients. Here is what you need for the traditional Akara recipe:
- Beans (black-eyed or brown) – 2 cups
- Onion (small) – 1
- Habanero peppers – 2
- Ground crayfish – 1tbsp
- Salt – 1tsp
- Vegetable oil for frying – 300ml
Wondering how to prepare Akara? Follow these steps to make your first Akara batch:
- Soak the beans overnight to give them a mild texture. In the morning rinse the beans and rub small portions of beans between the palms of your hands to peel them. Wash the beans again to get rid of any leftover skins.
- Put the beans in a blender and blitz until they turn into a smooth paste. Gradually add a cup of water to achieve the perfect consistency.
- Pour the bean paste out of the blender into a bowl. Add the chopped onion, chopped habanero peppers, salt, and crayfish. Stir well to combine and let the batter sit for 2-3 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, heat up the vegetable oil in a pot on the stove.
- When the oil is sufficiently hot, start putting small scoops of batter into the oil. Fry for 5 minutes on one side, flip and fry for an additional 5 minutes.
- Scoop out the golden brown Akara balls out of the pot and put on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve!
2. How to make Akara with beans flour
While the original Akara recipe is delicious, for many people it can be quite stressful due to the need to peel beans. If you don’t have the time to peel the beans, make Akara with bean flour! Here is what you’ll need:
- Bean flour – 2 cups
- Water
- Habanero peppers – 2
- Onion – 1
- Ground crayfish – 1tbsp
- Salt – 1tsp
- Vegetable oil for frying
Follow these steps to make Akara with bean flour:
- Combine the bean flour with water until you get a thick paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Let the batter sit for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, pour the vegetable oil into a pot and heat it up on a stove.
- Fry the batter in small scoops. Don’t put too many scoops at the same time – when the pot is overcrowded, the Akara balls take longer to fry.
- Place the cooked Akara bowls on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve!
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3. How to make Akara banana
While the two previous Akara recipes produce spicy, savoury Akara fritters, there is also a sweet variety of Akara made with bananas. Here are the ingredients for banana Akara:
- Bananas – 2
- Rice flour – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 1tbsp
- Vanilla extract – a few drops
- Warm water
- Oil for frying
Find out how to fry Akara with bananas from these steps:
- Mash the ripe bananas with a fork until they turn in a puree. Add the sugar and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the rice flour and add as much water as needed to get a smooth, thick mixture.
- Fry the scoops of banana Akara batter in hot oil until they’re golden brown on both sides. Let the Akara rest on a paper towel to lose excess fat.
- Sprinkle the banana Akara with powdered sugar. Serve as a breakfast or pack it up for the kids as a snack!
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