Acaraje

Acarajé is a traditional Brazilian street food made with black-eyed pea fritters filled with shrimp, vatapá, and caruru.

Ingredients - Serves 6

In a food processor, blend the soaked black-eyed peas, chopped onion, minced garlic, and salt until smooth.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or pot for frying.
Drop spoonfuls of the black-eyed pea mixture into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
In a separate pan, heat the red palm oil and sauté the dried shrimp until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, dried breadcrumbs, dried shrimp powder, green onions, and cilantro to the pan. Cook until the mixture thickens.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then sauté in a separate pan until cooked through.
To assemble, cut the fried black-eyed pea fritters in half and fill with a spoonful of the vatapá mixture and a few cooked shrimp.
Serve the acarajé with caruru and malagueta pepper sauce on the side.