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Acarajé with chilli, crisp Brazilian dish
Deep-fried bean fritters with a crisp shell and spicy chilli kick

Acarajé with chilli

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Acarajé is an iconic dish of Bahia state (Brazil) with West African roots. The essence is the black-eyed bean, which is puréed raw without skins, then aerated. It is a cousin of 'falafel', but its airiness and frying in palm oil (dendê) give it a unique reddish-gold colour and nutty flavour. The hot chilli is not just a flavouring, but a 'fire' aiding digestion of this rich, oily dish.
🕒 Prep Time 12 hrs 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 20 mins
⌛ Total Time 12 hrs 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 420 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Brazilian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large bowl for soaking
  • Blender or food processor
  • Wooden spoon
  • Deep frying pan

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the beans in plenty of water for at least 12 hours. Then rub the beans under water so the skins come off. Skim the skins off the top of the water. Repeat until the beans are completely clean and white.

Tip: This is the most labour-intensive but most important step. The skin would make the dish bitter and ruin the texture.
2 ✓

Drain the cleaned, raw beans thoroughly, then put in a food processor with the onion, garlic and chilli. Blitz until you get a chunky but paste-like mass.

Tip: Do not add water unless the machine really struggles. The mixture must remain thick.
3 ✓

Pour the mixture into a bowl, add salt, pepper and chopped coriander. Now comes the secret: beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes until frothy, aerated and lighter in colour.

Tip: This is 'aeration'. Mechanical work creates a protein network, and air bubbles make the fritter light when frying.
4 ✓

Heat the oil to medium heat. Using two spoons, shape quenelles from the frothy mixture and gently lower into the oil.

Tip: If the mixture immediately rises to the surface and sizzles, the oil is good. If it stays down, the oil is cold.
5 ✓

Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until they take on a deep reddish-brown colour and become crisp outside.

Tip: Palm oil gives the characteristic colour and flavour, but sunflower oil can also be used (they will be paler).
6 ✓

Drain on kitchen paper. Serve fresh, halved, with extra chilli sauce.

Tip: The inside of a freshly fried acarajé is soft, almost creamy like purée.

Recipe FAQ

Why did it fall apart during frying?
Either the mixture was too wet (you didn't drain the beans enough), or you didn't beat the dough enough, so there wasn't enough air and protein structure to bind it.
Can I use tinned beans?
No. Tinned beans are cooked, so the starch has already gelatinised. Acarajé requires raw, soaked beans for texture.

Ingredients

  • 400 g Dried black-eyed beans
  • 1 pc Onion (medium)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2 pcs Fresh chilli peppers
  • 1 bunch Fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper
  • 500 ml Oil for frying (preferably palm oil)