Malinese Fried Bean Balls (Akara)

Ingredients:

2 cups black-eyed peas

4-1/2 cups cold water

1 to 2 fresh red chiles, finely diced

1 yellow or red onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Cooking Instructions:

Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in 4 cups of the water. There are two methods for preparing the beans. If you decide to peel the beans, alternately thresh the soaked beans between your palms and rinse them in water so the skins wash away. Repeat the process until all the beans are skinned and you are left with white beans. If you choose not to peel the beans, simply rinse them several times. In a blender, puree the beans in small batches, adding the water, 1/2 cup at a time, to make it easier. Blend the first batch of beans with the chiles, onion, salt, and eggs. When all the beans are pureed, place the thick puree in a bowl, adjust the seasoning, and whisk for 3 to 4 minutes with a hand whisk to aerate the mixture. Heat peanut oil in a deep skillet until it is very hot. With clean, wet hands, form balls of mixture, gently drop them into the oil, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be careful that the oil does not splash your hands. You may prefer to use a long-handled spoon. Fry the balls quickly in batches, and drain them in a fine-mesh sieve lined with paper towels. Serve hot or cold.

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