HOW TO MAKE ACCRA BEANS

My love affair with Accra Beans started when I was pregnant with my second girl. Before then, I had not paid much attention to the snack. There is something about pregnancy that makes you love a particular meal so much. Sometimes you could even get addicted to it. That was how Accra Beans hooked me oo.

At the time, I was teaching part-time at a private university which was very close to Great Soppo market in Buea in the South West region of Cameroon. After lectures, which always took place on the market day I would walk to the market and purchase a good quantity of the snack from a lady who fried it on the spot. Accra beans was the reason I walked so fast after alighting from the cab. I couldn’t always wait to get home and eat them. Accra beans was the reason I turned some taxis into part-time dining rooms. I would run out of patience and open the plastic bag in which they were wrapped and quickly munch some. And right now, even without the pregnancy hormones, I’m still head over heels in love with Accra.

Oh honey!

When you love something so much, it is only fair to yourself that you learn how to make it. There won’t be Mami Accras always but there will always be hungry mouths. The best part is that you do not have to be in Africa to make these! The key ingredient, black-eyed peas is present almost everywhere. Just check the beans isle of your grocery store. I tell ya brethren, there is Koki beans in a location near you.

Translate into English: “Anna carry pan Accra for yi head, Mbambe jam yi, Accra trowey!”

Accra is a popular street food in Cameroon. It is hawked, sold in little food kiosks and widely loved. These chops are a phenomenal way to bring out the goodness in black-eyed peas. The beans are peeled, soaked in water for some hours, ground and deep fried. Sometimes powdered black eyed peas can be mixed with water and used in place of the freshly ground version. In fact, my first attempts at making the snack was when my sweet mom sent me some packets of powdered black eyed peas (Koki Beans). With the powdered version, they taste great but have a texture that is different from that made with fresh beans. I prefer fresh beans any day anytime! They take a long time to make but each bite is worth the stress.

In culinary terminology, this snack is dubbed, “Black Eyed Peas Fritters.” But if you are a contri geh like me, call it Accra Beans for Cameroonians or Akara for Nigerians. Make sure you mouth opens wide while you are pronouncing it! I hear other countries make it too but I haven’t done sufficient research on that.

Oh baby!

These fritters are crunchy on the outside when freshly made and softer on the inside. They can be eaten as an appetizer, a breakfast dish or a snack. For breakfast, serve with Pap (a porridge made out of corn) or Custard. You could use these fritters to fill up your bread and eat as a sandwich. Many Cameroonians eat it this way and I have heard them sing many praises to Accra Beans in the process. I typically eat them as a snack with my killer pepper sauce.

To make this recipe you will only need Koki beans, salt, vegetable oil and onion. Peel the skin off the beans the night before by soaking for five minutes and pulsing in a blender for two minutes. Pour in sufficient water to make the skins float. Drain the skins using a colander. Add back water and keep draining the skins until they are all gone. Let the beans soak in water overnight.

The next morning, drain and blend in a blender with very little water. You need the paste to be really thick so do not add much water in the blender. I strongly suggest that you use the small compartment of your blender and blend it into a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl.

I poured into my dreamy “motar and pestle” because that’s how Mami Accra does it. You could use a wooden spoon and regular kitchen bowl for this.

Put in a good teaspoon of salt and begin to stir in circular motion. This helps the mixture trap in air and rise so your Accras won’t be dense. Set your oil to heat upon medium high heat.

Use a flat-headed cook spoon to scoop out some of the dough and place into the oil.

I always just do one scoop first to see if the oil is hot enough.

If it fries well, I rejoice then I flip to the other side. By fries well, I mean if it turns golden brown in colour.

Then I repeat the process with the rest.

Put in a couple of spoonfuls into the oil. Be careful not to overcrowd your pot.

You do not need seasoning cubes (maggi/knorr) for Accra.

You could add some chili pepper to the beans before grinding if you want some heat. This is totally optional.