Swahili Bajia
These crispy black-eyed pea fritters have a spiced creamy interior of back-eyed peas. Pair it with green mango coconut chutney to bring on the bright fresh notes that contrast perfectly with the earthy peas.
I learned of this dish from The Jambo Cafe Cookbook by Ahmed M. Obo and instantly knew I had to try it. Here’s the thing … I didn’t read it thoroughly because as I was making the dish I thought this dish is really similar to falafel. I later read the top of the recipe that said “Bajia, pronounced ‘ba-jee-a’, is an African street food like falafel.”
If I had read that before I started, I never would have made it knowing falafel is labor intensive and only mediocre as leftovers. However, I was in too deep to stop and I don’t regret the 2 ½ hours of hands-on time that I spent making the dish. Be warned because I really want you to trust me if I say something is quick.
You can half the recipe or even cut it into a ⅓.
Swahili Bajia Ingredients
1 lb dried black-eyed peas
Water
3 small purple onions
3 jalapenos
1 ½ Tbl minced garlic
4 Tbl ground coriander
2 ½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbl ground cumin
4 tsp turmeric
1 ½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 c chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish
Vegetable Oil for frying
Swahili Baijia Directions
Put 1 lb of dried black-eyed peas in a large bowl filled with water and leave it to soak overnight.
Drain the peas in a colander to remove the water. You will not cook the peas until you fry them at the end.
Take the three onions and cut them into large pieces. It’s not important how you do it because it will go into a food processor. Cut off the stems of the jalapenos, remove the seed head, and cut it into four pieces.
Depending on the size of your food processor, put about a ⅓ of the onions, ⅓ of the jalapenos, ⅓ of the garlic into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until it’s a puree. Add ⅓ of the peas and pulse until the peas are smooth. It doesn’t need to be silky smooth.
Repeat until all of the peas and vegetables are pureed. Sprinkle 4 Tbl ground coriander, 2 ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 Tbl ground cumin, 4 tsp turmeric, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt on top of the pea mixture. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Add 1 c of chopped cilantro to the mixture and mix until well combined. When you can see the cilantro is evenly distributed, the spices will be too.
In a Dutch oven add enough oil to cover the bottom with 1” of oil. Heat it to 375 degrees.
Use a 1 ½ Tbl cookie scoop to measure the pea mixture. Gently pat down the mixture into the scoop to help it retain its shape. Make sure the cookie scoop is near the oil before releasing the mixture into the grease to avoid burning yourself.
Wait about 3-5 minutes until the underside of the fritter is a dark golden brown and gently flip the ball. Be careful not to disturb the balls when not needed because they are fragile especially during the beginning of the cooking process.
When both sides of the bajia are a dark golden brown, remove it from the oil and put it on a paper towel lined plate or on a cooling rack that is on a sheet tray.
Make sure its dark golden brown so you have a really crisp crust and a creamy interior. The mixture is fairly wet so you don’t need to worry about it drying out. Repeat until all of the mixture is cooked.
Top with cilantro and serve with green mango coconut chutney.
