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Acarajé with vatapá, crisp Brazilian dish with coconut sauce
Crisp fritters served with rich, nutty and creamy vatapá

Acarajé with vatapá

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Acarajé is the soul of Bahia state, an Afro-Brazilian dish whose secret lies in air. A dough is beaten from soaked and skinned beans which becomes light and crisp when fried. Palm oil (dendê) gives it its characteristic orange colour and earthy taste. Vatapá, this creamy, peanutty-coconutty sauce, completes the experience.
🕒 Prep Time 12 hrs 40 mins
🍳 Cook Time 1 hr
⌛ Total Time 13 hrs 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 650 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Brazilian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Hand blender or food processor
  • Deep pot for frying
  • Large bowl for soaking

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the beans in cold water for at least 12 hours. Then rub the kernels with your hands to loosen the skins, and wash the skins away.

Tip: Skinless beans ensure the dough is homogeneous and aerated, rather than gritty.
2 ✓

Blend the cleaned, raw beans with the onion and salt until you get a smooth paste. Do not cook the beans before blending!

Tip: The raw starch will bind the balls together during frying.
3 ✓

Beat the bean mixture with a wooden spoon or whisk for 10-15 minutes until aerated and frothy.

Tip: This physical exertion puts air bubbles into the dough, causing it to swell and become light when frying (mechanical aeration).
4 ✓

Shape quenelles from the mixture using two spoons and fry them in hot palm oil (or cooking oil) until golden brown.

Tip: Palm oil gives that special flavour that makes this dish authentic.
5 ✓

Making Vatapá: Soak the bread in the coconut milk. Blend with the nuts, garlic, chilli and coriander.

Tip: The bread starch thickens the sauce to a creamy consistency.
6 ✓

Cook the cream with the palm oil in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until thickened (approx. 10 minutes).

Tip: Under heat the flavours meld and the raw onion/garlic taste disappears.
7 ✓

Cut the fried acarajé balls in half and fill with vatapá cream.

Tip: Serve fresh while the ball is crisp.

Recipe FAQ

Why must I remove the bean skins?
Without skins the bean purée becomes much creamier and is easier to beat to a froth, which is essential for a light texture.
Where can I get palm oil?
Look for it in health food shops or Asian/international grocery stores under the name 'Dendê oil'.

Ingredients

  • 400 g Dried black-eyed beans
  • 1 pc Onion (large)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2 pcs Piri-piri peppers (or chilli)
  • 1 bunch Fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 500 ml Oil for frying (preferably palm oil/dendê)
  • 100 g Bread roll (for thickening vatapá)
  • 200 ml Coconut milk
  • 50 g Ground walnuts or cashews
  • 100 ml Palm oil (for the vatapá)