Spicy, airy fritters of skinned black-eyed peas whipped with onion and chilli, then deep-fried into craggy golden puffs. A staple of Ghanaian market mornings, sold from bubbling cauldrons and eaten by the bagful.
Koose (also akla) is the Ghanaian name for akara, the black-eyed-pea fritter that originated among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria; it travelled into Ghana along northern, Hausa-speaking routes (where it is also called kosai/koose). The same fritter crossed the Atlantic with the slave trade to Bahia, Brazil, where it is known as acarajé.
The shell shatters with a faint crackle into a steamy, savoury interior that is light as a cloud rather than dense. Onion sweetness and a slow scotch-bonnet burn ride underneath the earthy bean flavour. Best eaten scalding, when the crust is at its crispest.
Removing the skins and beating the paste in one direction whips in air, so the fritters puff and stay tender instead of turning leaden. Hot oil sets that aerated structure instantly into a crisp shell.
Variations
spiced with ginger and cloves, the batter cut with corn flour (kose/kosi), made larger and split for sandwiches, classically served with Hausa koko (spiced millet porridge) for breakfast
On the Palate
Where Koose Ghanaian sits in the Ghanaian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 8 hours
- 1480 min
Soak black-eyed peas in plenty of water overnight until swollen.
- 28 min
Rub the beans vigorously between your hands and rinse repeatedly to float off and discard the skins.
Watch outRub and rinse until the water runs clear and the skins float off — any skin left in makes the fritters bitter and heavy instead of light.
- 35 min
Blend the skinned beans with onion, scotch bonnet and a little water into a thick, smooth paste.
- 46 min
Beat the paste hard in one direction with a whisk or spoon for several minutes until it lightens and turns fluffy.
Watch outBeat one direction until the paste pales and a dab dropped in water floats — that trapped air is what makes them puff; a dense paste fries leaden.
- 52 min
Season with salt and stir in a pinch of ground ginger or chopped onion.
- 63 min
Heat oil to about 175C and drop in spoonfuls of batter in small batches.
- 75 min
Fry, turning, until deep golden and crisp on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Watch outThe batter should sizzle and rise the moment it hits the oil — if it sinks and sits, the oil's too cool and they'll drink grease.
- 82 min
Drain on paper and serve hot with pepper sauce or alongside koko porridge.
