Acarajé with vegan vatapá
Bahian black-eyed pea fritters fried in dendê, split and filled with coconut-peanut vatapá (plus overnight soaking)
Acarajé is the street food of Salvador da Bahia, fried to order by the baianas de acarajé in their white lace dresses; the craft is protected as part of Brazil's cultural heritage. Peeled black-eyed peas are ground with onion, whipped until light and fried in dendê into crisp, airy fritters, then split and filled with vatapá, a rich paste of coconut, peanuts, cashews and ginger. Street versions add dried shrimp; this one leaves it out and leans on dendê and toasted nuts for depth. Add vinagrete and pepper sauce as they do in Salvador. Chef's tip: beat the bean paste until it's pale and fluffy, and test a little in a glass of water: when it floats, it's ready. That trapped air is what makes acarajé light inside.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the acarajé
For the vatapá
For frying and serving
To serve
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: The day before, cover the 1 ⅛ lb dried black-eyed peas with plenty of cold water and soak for 8–12 hours. They'll double in size.
Step 2: Peel the peas: blitz them in a food processor for a few 1-second pulses just to crack them, then tip into a big bowl of water and rub them between your palms. The loose skins float; pour them off and repeat 4–5 times until nearly all are gone. It's slow, but unpeeled peas make heavy, grey fritters.
30 minStep 3: Drain well and grind the peas with the 1 onion in the food processor to a fine, thick paste, adding no more than 2–3 tbsp water. It should feel like smooth, stiff hummus, with no gritty bits.
Step 4: Make the vatapá while the paste rests. Blend the 2 ⅝ oz roasted unsalted peanuts, 2 ⅝ oz roasted cashews, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 1 tomato with half the ¾ cup coconut milk until smooth.
Step 5: Whisk the 2 ⅛ oz rice flour into the 1 ¼ cups water and the rest of the ¾ cup coconut milk in a heavy pan until there are no lumps. Add the nut mixture and bring to a simmer over a medium-low heat, whisking.
Step 6: Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until it's thick, glossy and pulls away from the pan like soft mashed potato. Stir in the 3 tbsp dendê (red palm oil), 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 tsp salt in the last 2 minutes; it will turn golden-orange.
20 minStep 7: Back to the bean paste: add the 1 tsp salt and beat it hard with a wooden spoon (or a stand mixer with the paddle) for 5–8 minutes, until it lightens in colour and looks fluffy. Drop a little into a glass of water: if it floats, it's ready; if it sinks, keep beating.
8 minStep 8: Heat the 1 cup dendê (red palm oil) and 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F. Use two large spoons to shape quenelles of paste about the size of an egg and slide them into the oil, 3 or 4 at a time.
5 minStep 9: Fry for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until deep reddish-gold and crisp all over, and they sound hollow when tapped. Too-hot oil colours them before the middle cooks. Drain on kitchen paper.
25 minStep 10: To serve, split each acarajé almost in half like a bun and fill with a generous spoon of vatapá, then a spoon of vinagrete (tomato and onion salsa) and as much Bahian chilli sauce or chopped malagueta chillies in oil as you dare. Eat while hot and crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does acarajé with vegan vatapá take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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