Start to finish: 40 minutes, plus soaking time
Makes about 18 fritters
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 Fresno chilies, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1½ cups peanut oil
Tomato-curry dipping sauce, recipe below, to serve
In West Africa, cooks turn black-eyed peas into crisp fritters reminiscent of falafel, often serving them with an assertively spiced dipping sauce that contrasts nicely with the earthy legumes. It’s essential to use dried peas here, not canned, and they must be soaked for at least 12 hours, so plan accordingly. But after soaking and draining, the beans don’t need to be cooked—they go directly into the food processor to make a doughy batter. We process most of the peas to a fine puree, but leave some coarse to give the fritters more texture. To monitor the temperature of the frying oil, a digital thermometer works best. Serve the fritters as an appetizer or snack with the dipping sauce (see following recipe) or treat them like falafel and tuck a few into folded flatbread along with lettuce, tomato and onion.
Don’t skip the step of rubbing the soaked peas with your hands to remove some of their skins. This gives the fritters a lighter, finer texture. And don’t shortcut the 30-minute refrigeration time for the batter; chilling helps the fritters hold together during frying.
In a large bowl, combine the peas with 8 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt. Soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
With the peas still in the soaking water, rub them together with your hands to release as many skins as possible. Pour off the water and loosened skins, then drain the peas in a colander and rinse well; you should have about 3 cups drained peas.
In a food processor, process 2 cups of the peas and 2 tablespoons water until nearly smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the remaining peas and process until coarsely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the baking powder, scallions, chilies and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and line half of the rack with a triple layer of paper towels. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil to 350°F. Working quickly, drop 8 heaping tablespoons of the bean mixture into the hot oil, then use a wide slotted spoon to flatten each mound into a round about ½ inch thick. Cook until the bottoms are deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 350°F. Using 2 forks, flip each fritter and cook until the second sides are deep golden brown, another 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to the paper towels and let drain for 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer to the other side of the wire rack. Return the oil to 350°F and repeat with the remaining bean mixture. Sprinkle the fritters with salt and serve with the dipping sauce.
TOMATO-CURRY DIPPING SAUCE
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Makes about ¾ cup
2 tablespoons curry powder
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
In a small skillet over medium, toast the curry powder, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and add the ketchup, sugar, lime juice, hot sauce and 3 tablespoons water. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, then taste and season with salt and pepper.