Ingredients
Batter
- 400 gdried split peas or black-eyed beans
- or 400 g gram flour, besan
- water, for soaking
To season
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, crushed
- 2green chillies, finely chopped
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- 1 teaspoonground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoonground turmeric
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 1/2 teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
To fry
- neutral oil, for deep frying
To serve
- soft bread rolls, pao
- piri piri sauce
- sliced onion and tomato
- lime wedges
Directions
- Rinse the split peas thoroughly in cold water. Cover them deeply with water in a bowl. Leave them to soak for at least six hours. They swell to about twice their volume. Drain them thoroughly before grinding. Put the drained peas in a food processor. Add only a very little water to help them turn.
- Grind them to a thick coarse paste. It should hold together when squeezed. Whisk the gram flour with water gradually. Work it into a thick smooth batter. It should be thick enough to drop from a spoon. Let it stand for twenty minutes before using it. Add the chopped onion, garlic and chillies. Add the coriander, cumin and turmeric.
- Add the salt and mix everything thoroughly. Add the bicarbonate of soda last of all. Beat the batter hard for a minute after adding it. Use the batter within about half an hour. Fry one small spoonful as a test.
- Taste it and adjust the salt and chilli. Heating the oil needs real care. Pour oil into a deep pan to about seven centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
- Heat it to about 175C and check with a thermometer. A small drop of batter should sizzle and rise at once. Keep a lid within reach in case of fire. Never pour water onto burning oil. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Use two spoons and keep them roughly even in size.
- Fry six or seven at a time and no more. Turn them with a slotted spoon as they colour. Fry them for about four minutes in total. They should be deep golden and crisp all over. Break one open to check the first batch. The inside should be light and cooked through.
- Lift them onto a wire rack, not kitchen paper. Let the oil recover between batches. Serving them is always done hot. Add plenty of piri piri sauce. Add sliced onion and tomato inside the roll. Squeeze fresh lime juice over them. They soften within half an hour of frying. Fry them to order rather than in advance.
Technique
- Mozambique has long-settled Gujarati and other South Asian communities, and their food is part of everyday Mozambican eating.
- Piri piri, the chilli sauce, is itself a product of the Portuguese Atlantic trade that brought American chillies to Africa.
Substitutions
- Gram flour is quicker than soaking and grinding peas and gives a smoother fritter.
- Black-eyed beans or yellow split peas both work in place of split peas.
Variations
- Some vendors add grated potato or spinach to the batter.
- A version with more chilli is sold for those who want it hot.
- Related fritters are called bhajia in Gujarat and akara across West Africa.
History
Gujarati gram-flour fritters sold from street pans, evidence of Mozambique’s long-settled Indian trading communities.
Frequently asked questions
What is Badjias?
Badjias is a street food from Mozambique: fried bean fritters often tucked into bread rolls. Gujarati gram-flour fritters sold from street pans, evidence of Mozambique’s long-settled Indian trading communities.
How long does Badjias take to make?
Badjias takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 fritters. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Badjias?
Yes, within limits. Gram flour is quicker than soaking and grinding peas and gives a smoother fritter. Black-eyed beans or yellow split peas both work in place of split peas.
What is the most important thing to get right in Badjias?
Taste it and adjust the salt and chilli. Heating the oil needs real care. Pour oil into a deep pan to about seven centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
