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Loading...A beloved Lagos street-food breakfast, these golden fritters are made from peeled black-eyed peas blended with onion and scotch bonnet pepper, then deep-fried until crisp outside and pillowy inside. Served hot with sliced agege bread, ogi, or a fiery tomato-pepper sauce for dipping. The signature airy texture comes from vigorously whipping the batter to trap air before frying.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings4
Yieldabout 24 fritters (4 servings)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 385 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 3 gSaturated Fat
- 32 gCarbs
- 10 gFiber
- 4 gSugar
- 16 gProtein
- 590 mgSodium
- 720 mgPotassium
- 85 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 9 mgVitamin C
- 30 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the batter
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (about 400 g), soaked overnight, drained, and peeled
- 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers, stems removed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried Cameroon pepper, or cayenne
- 1/2 cup cold water, added gradually as needed
For frying and serving
- 1.5 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for deep frying (about 1 inch deep)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 plum tomatoes, sliced into wedges
- 1/2 cup tomato-pepper sauce, or ketchup, for dipping
- 1 loaf crusty bread or agege loaf, for serving
Directions
- Soak the dried black-eyed peas in plenty of cold water for 6 to 12 hours, or overnight, until they double in size. Drain and rub the peas between your palms while rinsing under running water to float off the loose skins; repeat until most skins are gone.
- In a blender, combine the peeled peas, chopped onion, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, and ground pepper. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the sides as needed, and add water a tablespoon at a time until you have a thick, smooth, dropping batter that falls slowly and heavily from a spoon, not runny.
- Transfer the batter to a wide bowl and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or wire whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. The batter will become lighter, fluffier, and slightly paler as air is incorporated; this step is essential for the pillowy interior.
- Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F), or until a small drop of batter sizzles immediately and rises to the surface. Lower the heat to medium to hold the temperature steady.
- Using a tablespoon or small ladle, drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, frying 6 to 8 fritters at a time without crowding the pan.
- Fry the fritters for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until deep golden brown and crisp on all sides. They should sound slightly hollow when tapped.
- Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with a little extra salt.
- Pile the hot fritters onto a platter with sliced onion and tomato wedges, and serve at once with crusty bread, ogi, and tomato-pepper sauce for dipping.
Cook’s Notes
- Do not skip the peeling step; leftover skins make the fritters heavy, gritty, and slightly bitter.
- Add water cautiously as you blend; a runny batter will absorb excess oil and will not hold its shape when frying.
- Fry one test fritter first to confirm the oil temperature and adjust seasoning before cooking the full batch.
- Any leftover batter can be scooped into ramekins and steamed for about 25 minutes to make moin-moin, a savory bean pudding.
- Eat the fritters within 20 minutes of frying because they lose their crispness and turn dense as they cool.
