Recipe
🍳 BREAKFAST
Akara and Ogi
Fluffy black-eyed pea fritters with ogi, a smooth fermented corn pap, a classic Nigerian breakfast pair.
Nigerian · medium · serves 4
prep 25 min · cook 20 min
~397 cal · 26g protein · 74g carbs · 3g fat · 13g fiber · 11g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
↓ Jump to Recipe
AI-generated illustration
Akara and ogi is a classic Nigerian breakfast pairing, akara, fluffy fritters of peeled black-eyed peas whipped into a batter and deep-fried until golden and airy, served with ogi (also called pap or akamu), a smooth, slightly sour porridge of corn. The crisp-savory fritters and silky porridge are made for each other.
Akara has deep roots in Yoruba cooking and traveled with the transatlantic slave trade to become 'acarajé' in Brazil and 'accra' in the Caribbean, a genuine culinary diaspora. Whipping the bean batter until light is the key to the fritters' signature fluffiness.
Sold at roadside stalls across Lagos in the early morning and made in homes for weekend breakfasts, akara and ogi pairs a hot, crunchy fritter with cool, tangy pap, one of the great breakfasts of West Africa.
Saved recipes and passport stamps are kept on this device. Sign in to keep them across your devices and leave reviews.
Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
2 cups black-eyed peas, soaked and peeled
1 onion
1 pepper
1
1 cup dry corn pap (ogi/akamu)
Hard to find? 1 cup dry fine cornmeal soaked in water for two to three days until it smells sour, then strained - ogi is fermented, and that sourness is the whole point of it against the fritters; plain cornmeal porridge is a different breakfast
as needed oil for frying
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Blend the peeled peas with onion, pepper, and scotch bonnet into a thick, fluffy batter, whipping in air.
2
Season with salt and beat well.
3
Fry spoonfuls in hot oil until golden and puffed.
4
Whisk the ogi with cold water, then stir in boiling water until it thickens into a smooth pap.
5
Serve the akara hot with the warm ogi.
Lagos tradition.
Ratings & reviews
Cooked it? Rate this dish:
No account needed. Sign in to leave a full review with a comment.
Cooked it?
Kept on this device, no account needed. Sign in to leave a review and keep your passport across your devices.
No reviews yet, be the first to cook it.
🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Lagos. Suya is northern. The spiced, skewered meat grilled over coals belongs to Hausa cooking from the north of the country and reached Lagos with migrants, which is why the mallam at the roadside grill is often speaking Hausa. Lagos took it up wholesale, but it is a borrowing rather than a Lagosian invention.
🗺️
Nigeria. A Nigerian meal is a pairing rather than a plate. On one side sits a swallow, starch pounded or milled smooth and rolled into a ball meant to be swallowed rather than chewed, made from yam, cassava, plantain, cocoyam or corn; on the other a soup, which might be egusi ground from melon seeds, ewedu from jute leaves, or okra.
🌍
Africa. Africa's fifty-four nations hold cuisines as different as Morocco's slow-cooked tagines and South Africa's open-fire braai, yet shared threads run through them: ancient grains like millet, sorghum, and teff; stews thickened with groundnut, okra, or palm; and fiery condiments from Tunisian harissa to Ethiopian berbere. Staple starches, fufu, injera, ugali, couscous, anchor communal meals often eaten by hand from a shared dish, where hospitality is a point of honor.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Nigeria
Nigerian Jollof RiceLong-grain rice simmered in a smoky, slightly spicy pepper-and-tomato base until every grain is stained red.
Egusi SoupGround melon seeds cooked into a rich, nubbly soup with greens and assorted meats, the pride of the Igbo southeast.
SuyaThin beef skewers crusted in spicy, nutty yaji spice and grilled over coals, northern Nigeria’s legendary night-market snack.
Browse all Nigeria recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Blender, Whisk.
Storing it: Thickens as it sits. Reheat with extra water or milk to loosen, and keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated.
Make it a Nigeria meal
ZoboDrink
Chin ChinDessert
Similar dishes from around the world
Ful MedamesEgypt
Hausa Koko and KooseGhana
Banana in Coconut CreamNauru
Ladob BanannSeychelles
Papas de MilhoAngola
Vegemite on ToastAustralia
Cuisine
Diet
Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World
Vegan Recipes from Around the World
Gluten-Free Recipes from Around the World
Dairy-Free Recipes from Around the World
Nut-Free Recipes from Around the World
Egg-Free Recipes from Around the World
Pork-Free Recipes from Around the World
Vegan Breakfasts from Around the World
Vegetarian Breakfasts from Around the World
Gluten-Free Breakfasts from Around the World
Dairy-Free Breakfasts from Around the World
Nut-Free Breakfasts from Around the World
Egg-Free Breakfasts from Around the World
Frequently asked questions
What is Akara and Ogi?
Fluffy black-eyed pea fritters with ogi, a smooth fermented corn pap, a classic Nigerian breakfast pair.
Where does Akara and Ogi come from?
Akara and Ogi is a Nigerian dish from Lagos, Nigeria.
Can Akara and Ogi be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Akara and Ogi recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Akara and Ogi safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Akara and Ogi take to make?
About 45 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
Get the Sunday Spin
One dish from somewhere in the world, in your inbox every Sunday. No spam, just dinner inspiration you can cook that day.