Full Recipe
Author
Food Network | 2022-11-30
Description
Àkàrà (a Yoruba and Igbo word referring to a bean cake or fritter) has long been a popular street snack throughout West Africa and shows up prominently in Atlantic Creole cookery all over the New World, including the American South. The fritters are made with black-eyed peas, which are an ancient indigenous staple of the Senegambian diet and popularized by Black American cooks (many descendants of that region) after the Civil War. Representing resilience and blessings, black-eyed peas are a long-standing symbol of good luck and are traditionally eaten at the start of the New Year, a tradition our family has maintained for generations. This sesame sauce is super simple to make, has a range of versatile uses and tastes reeeaaallly delicious. It requires just a handful of ingredients that usually exist already in a well-stocked pantry, and it reminds me of a vegan chipotle mayo. You can also serve the akara with a tomato or tomatillo salsa.
