Make Black-eyed Peas Fritters – Easy and Nutritious

Make these easy and nutritious Black-eyed Peas Fritters. These tasty little bites are simply perfect with your afternoon tea/coffee. Or, serve them up as delightful hors d’oeuvres / appetizers when you have friends over. I love them so much, I often have them as a stand-alone protein-rich side-dish when all I want for dinner is a simple soup and salad. Of course, I cheat a little! I keep a stash of partially cooked fritters in the freezer, ready to fry when the craving hits.

Today’s post is a birthday special – one of my favorite snacks, to celebrate, from half a world away, the special day for a very dear family member.

Fritters – Vadaa – Pakoda…. so delicious!

A mini -Vadaa – that’s probably what many of my Indian friends will call these bite-size treats. It seems some version of Vadaa is made across the globe – usually from a grain/bean that grows in that part of the world. Soak it, then grind it to make a soft dough/batter; season it, shape it and fry! What’s not to like?! Things that immediately come to mind are Hush-puppies in the US, Falafel in the middle-East, Vadaa/Pakoda in the Indian sub-continent …. so loved by all! These crowd-pleasing dishes so beautifully showcase how we human beings have perfected the art of creating delicious fried snacks from nutritious and easily available ingredients.

Black-eyed Peas – packs taste and nutrition

Blackeyed peas, also known as black-eyed beans, cow-peas, goat peas, Chavli (Chuv-lee) in Marathi), Chaulai (Chow-la-ee) or Lobia (Lo-biaa), in Hindi, boast a pretty impressive nutrition profile. Cultivated in many parts of the world, they pack protein, fiber, various micro-nutrients….and are especially rich in potassium and zinc. A single serving (1/4 cup dry) of black-eyed peas delivers about half of your daily requirement for these two minerals.

“Catch” that Zinc!

It is well-known that zinc, so critical for proper immune function, is not easily absorbed by the body from plant-based sources. How come? The culprit is the Phytic acid in beans, grains and vegetables. It binds to the zinc and then simply carries it out of the body. So, much of the zinc from the black-eyed peas can just get “lost”. Soaking and cooking the beans breaks down some of the phytic acid, improving the absorption ratios. Also, recent studies suggest that consuming onion and garlic at the same time might dramatically improve zinc absorption. Hmm…. maybe we can try to “catch it” – snatch it away from Phytic acid, so to speak! How? Just add onion and garlic to the prepared batter, or, serve it with a dip that has onion/garlic in it. What a simple and delectable solution!

Mom’s Recipe

My Mom sometimes made Vadaas like these, and I remember that she always added finely minced onion to the batter! She didn’t add garlic, because my Dad didn’t like garlic at all. She didn’t make them frequently, though, for multiple reasons. Firstly, deep-fried items were considered, in general, to be an ‘indulgence’ and a special treat – not everyday fare. Secondly, cooking oil was not exactly cheap. A third reason is intertwined with the other two: after deep-frying, there is inevitably a fair amount of left-over “spent oil”. What to do with it? A dilemma: re-use it or discard it?

During frying, the high heat causes certain undesirable chemical changes in the oil. The polymerized and/or partially oxidized oil is not easily digested. This can lead to further consequences, none of which are good – hypertension, cardiovascular disease, etc. So, one should really not re-use this ‘spent oil” for deep-frying; but just throwing it away seemed so wasteful too.

Mom tried to use some of the “spent oil” in the next couple of days (not for deep-frying, of course); then, somewhat reluctantly, she discarded the rest.

Tweaked Mom’s recipe – there’s very little “spent oil”

I have tweaked Mom’s recipe a little, so that I have very little “spent oil” left over. Whatever is left, though, I set aside to cool. Then I store it in the refrigerator – this slows down the chemical reactions that continue to further degrade the oil as it sits. Like Mom, I do try to use it up in the next couple of days, for quick sauteing, etc. I never use it for deep-frying, and because there is so little of it, I almost never have to throw any of it away.

So, what’s my little secret for reducing the amount of spent oil? Easy: pre-cook before frying. I place little mounds of the soft, dough-like batter on a plate and cook in the microwave for a couple of minutes. The heat firms up the batter – after cooling slightly, I use a spatula to flip them over. The underside looks ‘wet’ at first, but quickly dries out.

Now I’m ready to fry them in a small wok, with much less oil than I would have otherwise needed. Since they are already shaped and firmed up, I can easily drop 8-10 pieces, all at once, into the hot oil. Also, because they’re already half-cooked, they need less ‘cook-time’ in the oil. So, not only do I use less oil for frying, I also heat it for much less time. Because of this, I don’t have very much spent oil left over at the end, and what I do have, is not as heat-impacted as it would be with the way Mom made these!

Do-ahead possible

This method offers yet another advantage: you can make these black-eyed peas fritters ahead of time – up to the microwaved stage. That means you can do the soaking, grinding and steaming well before serving time. In fact, I often make a double batch and stash some of these beauties in the freezer. With most of the work already done ahead of time, it is super-easy to fry and serve them piping hot, even in a time-crunch!

I have also tried “frying” them in an air-fryer, and broiling them in a toaster oven – they turn out quite nice (just a tad dry), and there is ZERO spent oil! I’ve provided detailed directions for both these methods in Recipe Notes, But I must admit… I’m really partial to the taste and texture of the deep-fried fritters – crispy outside and moist inside, they’re just perfect!

More than just a snack

These fritters don’t have to be just a snack. You can build a whole meal around these easy to make tasty and nutritious Black-eyed Peas fritters! The key to doing so revolves around complementing the protein in black-eyed peas – it is not a “complete protein”. You must pair it with a grain – wheat, millet, rice, etc., to ensure that you get all the essential amino acids in your meal. How? Use your imagination!

Stuff a few of these fritters in a pita pocket, with all your favorite toppings ……. and devour your delicious sandwich! Maybe serve these as a protein-rich side-dish to complement carbohydrate-rich dishes like Pulao, Pasta or Mexican Fiesta Rice. Don’t want to bother with all that extra work on a busy weeknight? Well, how about just good old bread and butter? But then, where are the veggies? Hmm… perhaps some carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter, or drizzled with a salad dressing. See, it’s not that hard!

Dietary Restrictions

This recipe is vegan, gluten free and soy-free. It can be made nut-free by replacing the coconut powder with coarsely ground sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds – the taste and texture is different, of course, but equally delicious.

Enjoy!

Do leave a comment and a rating.

Make Black-eyed Peas Fritters- Easy and Nutritious

Soak and grind black-eyed peas to a slightly coarse texture. Add chick pea flour, coconut powder and seasonings to make a soft dough-like batter. Place small scoops of mixture on a microwave safe plate, Cover microwave on hi for 2 min. Cool slightly, flip and air dry for a few min. Fry, in batches of 8-10, in hot oil in a small wok, until golden, turning as need for even browning. Serve hot, with dip/chutney. Enjoy!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Soaking time for beans 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 111 kcal

Equipment

• Microwave oven for partially cooking the fritters; if not available, this can be done on the stove-top in a steamer (will need a stainless steel plate that fits in the steamer – see Recipe Notes for details)
• Microwave safe glass/ceramic plate and vented domed lid;
• Small wok – for frying the fritters; if not available, a small frying pan or larger wok is OK too, but will need a bit more oil to get enough depth for frying.
• 10 inch non-stick frying pan – for pan-frying to finish browning the fritters; if not available, you can use any type of flat griddle – un-coated, stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, etc.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup Black-eyed peas rinsed and soaked for 4-6 hours, overnight soaking OK
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 tbsp Besan also called Bengal gram flour; chickpea flour; garbanzo bean flour, etc.
• 1 tbsp Dried Coconut powder do NOT use coconut flour; if coconut powder is not available, grate dried coconut with a fine grater, or shred and pulse to a powder in a blender/grinder; for nut-free fritters: use crushed sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
• 3/8 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference
• 1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder (cayenne) adjust as per spiciness preference
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup Fresh Coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)
• 4 tbsp Peanut oil – for frying if not available, use other edible oil suitable for frying; do NOT use extra-virgin olive oil for frying.
• 1/4 cup Onion – finely chopped (optional) any type of onion OK
• 1 tsp Garlic-chopped finely (optional) 1-2 cloves

Instructions

 

• Rinse and soak the black-eyed peas with 1/2 cup water for 4-6 hours (overnight soaking is OK too)
  
• Most of the soaking water is absorbed. Drain the residual water by placing the soaked beans in a colander held over the sink; rinse beans with fresh water.
  
• 
• Transfer beans to a blender jar; add 1/2 cup fresh water and grind at low speed to a slightly coarse texture – do not blend till silky smooth. Transfer the blended beans to a mixing bowl.
  
• 
• Add all the remaining ingredients, except oil: Besan, dried coconut powder, salt, red chilli powder, cumin seeds and fresh coriander leaves.
  
• Mix well; scoop and place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on a glass/ceramic microwave safe plate – approximately 20-22 small scoops will fit on a 10 inch dinner plate – see picture.

  (If microwave is not available, these sccops can be placed on a stainless steel plate and steamed – see Recipe Notes for details)
  
• Cover with a vented domed lid and microwave on hi for 2 min.

  While the first plate is in the microwave, prepare a second plate in the same way. If any mixture is still left, prepare a 3rd plate. you can get 45-50 scoops from the mixture.
  
• Remove the plate from the microwave; set aside for 2-3 min to cool slightly. With a spatula, gently release the steamed fritters from the plate and flip. They look flat and 'wet' on the underside – set aside to let them air dry for a few min.

  Repeat with the remaining plates of steamed fritters.
  
• 
• While waiting for the steamed fritters to air-dry, heat oil in the wok for frying – 3-4 min on med-high.

  Add 1 piece into the oil to check if it is hot enough for frying. The added fritter should immediately sizzle and the oil should become a little frothy around it. If it does not do that,remove the fritter and heat the oil a little longer before adding it back.

  When the oil is properly heated, add about 8-10 fritters – rounded side down, immersed in the oil (flat side up). Increase heat to hi.

  (for details regarding how to do this in an AirFryer or in the oven, see Recipe Notes)
  
• 
• After about 1-2 min, flip one fritter to check for browning: if not lightly browned, flip back and fry for another minute or so. If the oil starts to smoke, decrease heat a little.

  Meanwhile, heat a10 inch non-stick frying pan on a second burner – on low setting. This pan is used to "finish" browning the flat side of the fritters.
  
• Flip the fritters and fry for about a minute, then use a slotted spoon to collect the fritters, draining excess oil back into the wok. Transfer the fritters to the heated frying pan, flat side down.

  Continue cooking until browned on the bottom – 3-4 min, then transfer to a serving platter, lined with absorbent paper towels. (Why use this combination technique: deep-fry/pan-fry? see detailed explanation in Recipe Notes)

  Add the next batch of 8-10 fritters to the wok and repeat, transferring to the frying pan to finish browning the flat side. Repeat until all the fritters are fried – probably 4-5 batches total.
  
• Serve hot with a chutney or dip of your choice – shown here with Sambal Oelek (fresh red chilli paste) on Sour Cream

  Other dips: tomato ketchup, fresh mint/coriander chutney, fresh coconut chutney, Mulagapudi mixed with yogurt, ranch dip, sweet chilli sauce, etc.
  

Notes

Steaming the fritters on the stove-top, using a steamer:

• For steaming these fritters on the stove-top, first get the steamer ready.
• Place 3-4 cups of water into the base pot, cover and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, place small scoopfuls of the batter on a lightly greased stainless steel plate (see picture in the main recipe area for reference)
  • first check the size of the plate to ensure that it fits into the steamer basket
    •  you can also use a pressure cooker insert container (placed on a rack to elevate it above the level of boiling water) for steaming
  • smear with a few drops of oil
    • or, line the plate with parchment paper and smear the paper with a few drops of oil
• Place the plate into the steamer basket, cover and steam on med-high for 9-10 min. Turn heat off and leave undisturbed for 3-4 min.
• Meanwhile, prepare a second plate for steaming the next batch.
• Remove the plate from the steamer, Add more water to the base pot, cover and bring to a boil again.
• Place the second prepared plate into the basket and repeat steaming procedure.
• Allow the steamed fritters on the first plate to cool for 2-3 min, then use a spatula to flip them over.
  • They should look a little puffy and cooked
  • firm when touched, unlike the soft batter mixture.
• If you still have batter that needs to be steamed, you can reuse the first plate to do so
  • transfer the flipped pieces to a cutting board or tray
  • no need to wash the plate- just smear a bit of oil, so the steamed pieces release easily.
• Air-dry the flipped pieces for 2-3 min – they are now ready for deep-frying
  • or browning in an AirFryer or toaster oven – see details below

 

Crisping and browning in an Air-Fryer or oven :

Prepare the steamed fritters for browning:

• Add 2 tsp oil and 2 tsp water to a medium mixing bowl.
• Whisk together and add the steamed fritters.
• Toss to coat all pieces evenly with the oil-water mixture.
• Cover and set aside for 4-5 min.
• Adding a little water to the oil helps the fritters stay moist inside while the outside becomes browned and crisped.

AirFryer:

• Line the air fryer base with parchment – cut a small hole in the center to allow proper  air flow.
• Arrange the oil-coated fritters, flat side down, – do not over-crowd.
• AirFry at 400 F for 6-8 min – if not browned and crisp, continue to air-fry for 2-3 min longer.
• Transfer carefully to a serving platter and repeat with remaining fritters.

Toaster Oven:

• Line the pan with parchment.
• Arrange the oil-coated fritters, flat side down – single layer, do not over-crowd.
• Pre-heat toaster oven – broiler setting 400 F -3-4 min
• Broil at 400 F for 5-7 min (or up to 2-3 min longer) until browned and crisp.
• Transfer carefully to a serving platter and repeat with remaining fritters

 

Why use combination (deep-fry/pan-fry) technique?

• each batch of 8-10 fritters is “deep-fried” for about 3-4 min, then pan-fried for another 3-4 min.
• SO:
  • The frying is finished in half the time
  • the left-over “spent-oil” in the wok is heated for less time
    • so, it is still suitable for cooking (but not for deep-frying!)
      

 

To store and use left-over “Spent Oil”:

Immediately after frying is done,

• Transfer the hot oil left over in the wok to a stainless steel bowl
• Set aside to cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator.
• About 2 tbsp of “spent oil” is left over. (this was taken into account for Nutrition Calculations for the fritters)
• Try to use this oil in the next couple of days: (do NOT use for deep-frying)
  
  • a “finishing” Tadka – for pouring over prepared Dal, Rasam, chutney, etc.
  • sauteeing/stir-frying vegetables
    
  • pan-frying – patties, cutlets, 
  • pancakes, Dosas, Utthappam, Parathas, Thalipith, etc.
    

Storing left-overs:

If already fried/browned:

• Refrigerate leftovers and consume within a day,
  • To reheat
    • microwave for 30-40 seconds on low-medium power (40%).
      • Do not heat too long- they will become chewy and tough.
    • toaster oven – 350 F for 3-4 min – heating longer will make them too dry.
• Freeze: I recommend “double bagging” if using plastic bag; i.e., place fritters in a bag, seal bag; then place inside another bag and seal before freezing. good for about 2 months, possibly longer.
  • to thaw and reheat
    • transfer to a glass/ceramic plate microwave on 30% power until thawed.
    • heat to serving temp on 40% power in 30 second bursts until warm enough

If storing steamed pieces, to be fried later:

• Refrigerate: use within 2 days
• Freeze: I recommend “double bagging” if using plastic bag; i.e., place fritters in a bag, seal bag; then place inside another bag and seal before freezing; good for about 2 months, possibly longer.
  • to thaw
    • transfer to a glass/ceramic plate – spread out for easy thawing;
      • set on the countertop for 20-30 min
      • microwave on 30% power, 1-2 min until thawed. do not over-heat- thy will become too dry.
    • Ready for frying or browning
•  

 

Nutrition

Calories: 111kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 224mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Besan, Black-eyed peas, Chickpea flour, cilantro, dried coconut powder, Fresh coriander, fritters, Garbanzo bean flour, Pakoda, Vada

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