Using red lentils to make these akara balls is the easiest and most delicious recipe. It saves time and it is super quick!

Akara balls, also known simply as “akara”, are a popular West African dish, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. They are deep-fried fritters made from peeled and ground black-eyed beans, often mixed with onions, peppers, and spices. Akara is typically crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a savory and slightly spicy flavour. It’s a beloved dish for its simplicity and rich flavor, and it’s also commonly sold by street vendors in West Africa.

The normal Akara recipe involves these basic ingredients and steps

Basic Ingredients

– Black-eyed beans: The main ingredient, soaked and peeled before being ground into a paste.
– Onions: Finely chopped and added to the batter for flavor.
– Peppers: Usually Scotch bonnet or another type of chili pepper for heat.
– Salt and seasonings: To taste, sometimes including bouillon cubes or other spices.
– Oil: For deep frying.

Preparation Steps:
1. Soak and Peel the Black-Eyed Beans: The peas are soaked in water until soft. The skins are then removed by rubbing them between your hands.
2. Blend the Beans: The peeled peas are ground into a smooth paste, usually with some water. Onions and peppers are added during this process.
3. Mix the Batter: The blended mixture is seasoned with salt and other spices, and mixed until fluffy.
4. Fry the Akara: The batter is scooped and dropped into hot oil, frying until golden brown.

In Nigeria, my mom made akara, especially on Sundays. It was our little family tradition. The smell of the akara would waft through the kitchen to the entire house. It was another sign to make us get dressed for church. As a child, I loved the akara snack. It was the most delicious snack, bread slices with cold akara. After church services, I always loved eating the cold akara, sandwiching them between my bread slices. This recipe was made with black-eye beans that were soaked, washed, and then blended.

MAKING AKARA WITH RED LENTILS

Fast forward to a few years later, my mom discovered another akara recipe, and it was making akara with red lentils! This is the most amazing Akara recipe yet. This is because it is less tedious and quick to prepare. I also love this recipe because lentils do not bloat me or make me feel heavy. It is light, airy, and requires fewer ingredients. During her trip to Poznan, Poland, she tried red lentil moimoi for the first time and felt amazed. I could not relate since I had not eaten it before until I arrived home one afternoon and ate some Akara balls sitting on the table. When my mom told me that the dish used red lentils, I couldn’t believe it. It far exceeded what I expected.

And guess what friends? One thing I dreaded as a mother was washing and cleaning black-eyed beans to either make akara or moimoi steamed bean pudding. After my mother taught me this easier method, it became a thing of joy to make moimoi or akara.

Soon, I will be sharing my red lentil recipe for moimoi.

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Best Red Lentils Akara Balls

August 13, 2024

Servings: 7

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 30 min

Total: 1 hr 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

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By: Oby

Ingredients

• 2 cups red lentils
• 4 cups of water to wash the lentils
• 3 cups of water to soak it
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large white onion
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 small habanero pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2tbs of water to help with the blending if needed
• 1 maggi seasoning cube or salt to taste
• 5 cups of frying oil
• Optional
• Pap (Ogi or Akamu)
• Peppersauce
• Bread bun

Directions

• Step 1 Pour red lentils into a bowl and pour some water over to wash it. Strain water after washing lentils. Pour more water to soak to the lentils for about 45 minutes to about an hour. You will see they will be lighter in colour and the pulses might split open. Strain the soak water and dump soaked lentils into a blender. Add the ingredients listed and blend until smooth.
• Step 2 Using a hand whisk or mixer, beat pureed lentils. This is to aerate the pureed lentils so can be fluffy and light. This also ensures the roundness of the Akara.
• Step 3 Fry until they turn golden brown. Strain from oil and serve hot, warm or cold.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RED LENTILS AKARA BALLS

WASH YOUR LENTILS

Wash lentils first before soaking. This ensures the lentils are less starchy.

SOAK LENTILS

The lentils will blend better if they soak longer. So, if you can soak up to 1hr, that will be great.

USE A GOOD BLENDER

A good blender comes in handy when you are making Akara. This makes is smooth and more enjoyable to eat.

BEAT LENTIL PASTE WITH A HAND WHISK OR MIXER

The hand whisk aerates the lentil paste and when it incorporates air, it becomes fluffier

USE AN ICECREAM SCOOP OR SPOON

This gives beautiful, rounded Akara balls.

During the editing, I didn’t know when I cut out an essential part and that was the whisking of the lentil paste. You can also see the whisk attachments I used in one of the clips but I totally cut it out. Whisking the blended lentil paste makes it extra fluffy as it incorporates a lot of air.
To make the akara balls well-rounded, please whisk the paste with a hand-whisk or balloon whisk. You will be glad you did!

Serving:
Many people often enjoy Akara as a snack or breakfast item. Restaurants and homes commonly serve it with bread, pap (a type of corn pudding), or a dipping sauce. Chefs consider it a versatile dish that you can enjoy on its own or as part of a larger meal.

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