Akara are West African fritters made by blending peeled black-eyed peas and whipping the batter before frying. They contain no flour, eggs, or baking powder; the only leavening comes from air trapped in the batter by prolonged whipping. Do not shorten the whipping time: batter that is not whipped enough will not puff in the oil, and the akara will be dense.
Rub the soaked black-eyed peas between your palms to loosen the skins. Fill the bowl with water, pour off the skins that float to the top, and repeat until no skins remain. Any skins left behind will make the akara gray and coarse.
Blend the peeled black-eyed peas with as little water as possible, until you have a thick batter. Too much water will make it runny and cause it to fall apart in the oil.
Add the grated onion, chopped hot pepper, and salt to the batter. Using a wooden spoon or mixer, beat rapidly in one direction for 5 minutes. Drop a little batter into a glass of water; it has incorporated enough air if it floats. If it sinks, keep beating.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat; a drop of batter should puff immediately and rise to the surface.
Scoop the batter into the oil with a tablespoon, without crowding the skillet. Fry each batch for 4 minutes, until golden on all sides, then transfer to paper towels.
Soak the black-eyed peas in lukewarm water for 2 hours; the skins come off by rubbing only after they have softened. Do not refrigerate the blended batter; fry it right away, or it will lose its trapped air and the akara will not puff.
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