Teranga's Accara Fritters

The accara, or black-eyed pea fritter, is a popular street food in West Africa.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1-1/2 bunches green onions
3 medium yellow onions
1 cup olive or canola oil
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 habanero peppers, finely chopped
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt

Directions

Purée the garlic, the bell pepper, 1 bunch green onion, and 1 yellow onion in a food processor. Add salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. This is now Nokoss, Senegalese garlic paste.

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the rest of the green and yellow onions for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste.

Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, then add water and the rest of the ingredients. Reduce the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of Nokoss. Stir. Add cayenne pepper. Stir. Season with salt to taste.

Serve accara on plate with sauce on the side. (You can also serve the accara and sauce on slices of baguette to make sandwiches.)

Serves: 6

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Marie-Claude Mendy is the chef and owner of Teranga, a Senegalese restaurant in Boston's South End. She shared this recipe with us when she was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.

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