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Agbeli kaklo
Cassava fritters
Agbeli kaklo: crisp Ewe cassava fritters with onion and pepper, eaten with fresh coconut
Roadside fryers in the Volta Region sell agbeli kaklo by the bagful, golden fingers of grated cassava seasoned with onion and chilli and fried until crunchy outside and chewy within. The classic way to eat them is with chunks of fresh coconut, whose cool sweetness balances the salty, peppery fritters, and they are an afternoon snack or a travel snack on the road from Ho to Accra. Cassava must be cooked through, so fry until deep golden. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated cassava very dry and fry at 170 °C; wet dough spits dangerously, and oil that is too cool, the common mistake, gives greasy, soggy fritters.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fritters
- 1 ¾ lb cassavapeeled, woody core removed; or frozen grated cassava, thawed
- 1 onionvery finely chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet chillivery finely chopped
- ⅓ oz fresh ginger (optional)grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
To serve
- 1 fresh coconut (optional)flesh cut into chunks
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Finely grate 1 ¾ lb cassava, then squeeze it hard in a clean cloth until no more liquid comes out.
15 minStep 2: Crumble the cassava into a bowl and mix in 1 onion, 1 scotch bonnet chilli, ⅓ oz fresh ginger and 1 tsp salt with your hands until evenly seasoned.
3 minStep 3: Take walnut-sized pieces and roll or squeeze them into fingers about 8 cm long. They should hold together; if they crumble, squeeze harder.
7 minStep 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry the fingers in batches, turning, until deep golden brown and crisp all over.
7 minStep 5: Drain on paper towels and fry the rest, letting the oil come back up to temperature between batches. Serve warm with 1 fresh coconut.
13 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does agbeli kaklo take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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