Deep-Fried Acarajé with Spicy Vatapá Filling

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-27 · Updated 2026-06-27

Traditional Bahian street food featuring black-eyed pea fritters fried to golden perfection and stuffed with creamy, spicy shrimp vatapá. This Brazilian-inspired street-food recipe, ready in about 45 minutes, pairs black-eyed peas, onion, dried shrimp for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 cups, soaked overnight black-eyed peas
• 1 medium, roughly chopped onion
• 1/4 cup dried shrimp
• 2 cups for frying palm oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger root
• 1, finely chopped fresh chili pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (see below) vatapá paste
• 1/2 cup bread soaked in coconut milk, 1/4 cup ground peanuts, 1/4 cup shrimp stock, 1 tbsp palm oil, 1 tbsp finely chopped onion, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper vatapá paste ingredients

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Drain 2 cups soaked black-eyed peas and blend in a food processor with 1 medium roughly chopped onion, 1 tsp grated ginger root, 1 finely chopped fresh chili pepper, and 1 tsp salt until a smooth, thick batter forms. Set aside.
2. Step 2: To prepare vatapá paste, combine 1/2 cup bread soaked in coconut milk, 1/4 cup ground peanuts, 1/4 cup shrimp stock, 1 tbsp palm oil, 1 tbsp finely chopped onion, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper in a blender; blend until creamy.
3. Step 3: Heat 2 cups palm oil in a deep heavy pot to 350°F. Using wet hands, shape the black-eyed pea batter into small balls about 3 inches in diameter.
4. Step 4: Fry 3-4 balls at a time for 5-6 minutes until deep golden and crispy outside. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Step 5: Carefully cut each fritter open and stuff with about 2 tbsp of the vatapá paste. Serve immediately while hot.