How to Cook Black Eyed Pea Fritters With Cheese-Chili Dip

Makes: 30 fritters

Preparation time: 20 mins + 8 hours (inactive)

Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Black Eyed Pea Fritters With Cheese-Chili Dip:

For the fritters:

• 1 cup black eyed peas
• ¼ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Canola oil, for frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the dip:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup grainy salsa
• 16 oz canned chili beans, juice reserved
• 1 can (2.25 oz) pitted black olives, drained and sliced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Cooking instructions for Black Eyed Pea Fritters With Cheese-Chili Dip:

• Dump the black eyed peas in a large bowl and pour water into it until it stands a couple of inches from the base.
• Put a lid on and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or even overnight if possible.
• Meanwhile to make the dip, warm up your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk the salsa and cream cheese together in a small bowl until well combined and spread it across the base of pie plate.
• Top it up with ½ cup shredded cheese and sprinkle the chili beans on top.
• Finish it off with rest of the cheddar cheese, sliced olives as well as the scallions and bake for about 15 minutes or until it is heated through and the cheese melts.
• Lower the temperature of the oven to the lowest setting and keep warm until the pea fritters are ready.
• For the fritters, drain the soaked peas out into a food processor and pulse them 8 times into a coarse mixture.
• Tip it into a medium-sized bowl, along with water and agitate the peas between your palms to separate them from the skins.
• Set aside, without touching the bowl, until the skin floats up on the surface of water.
• Skim off the skins and drain off the water.
• Continue to this process with fresh water until all the skins are discarded.
• Transfer the skinned peas into a blender, along with a dash of baking soda, onion, 3 tbsp water and adequate amount of seasonings.
• Pulse them into a smooth puree and set aside until necessary.
• Pour oil in a 6 quart Dutch oven and heat it over moderately high heat to 365 degrees F.
• Drop two tsp of small balls of the puree into the hot oil and deep-fry in batches for about 3 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
• Drain them out using a slotted spoon, into a plate lined with paper towel and dust a dash of salt on top.
• Serve alongside chili cheese dip.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons