Black-eyed peas and spices are blended into patties, pan-fried and served with millet porridge in this adaptation of Ghana’s traditional dishes koose and kooko.
SERVINGS: 6
SERVING SIZE: 2 patties with ½ cup porridge (294 grams)
PREP TIME: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet
- 2 cups canned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup onion, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup cabbage, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons (42 milliliters) vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 3 1-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 teaspoon jalapeño, chopped
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place millet in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight in refrigerator.
- In a blender or food processor, add black-eyed peas, red pepper flakes, onion, egg and salt and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl, add cabbage and mix well.
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop and pour batter into skillet, making 4 patties.
- Cook 3 minutes, then flip and cook 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove patties from pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and repeat until batter is gone, making 12 patties.
- Drain and rinse millet in a sieve.
- In a blender add millet, 1 cup water, ginger, jalapeño, black peppercorns and ground cloves. Process until smooth.
- Strain mixture into a bowl through a sieve.
- In a small pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add millet mixture, lower to simmer and whisk constantly for 5 minutes to prevent lumps from forming.
- Serve ½ cup porridge with 2 black-eyed pea patties.
Cooking note: Use habanero or spicier pepper in place of jalapeño, if preferred. Millet porridge may thicken as it rests. To thin out, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk to desired consistency.
NUTRITION PER SERVING: 253 calories, 10g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 31mg cholesterol, 576mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 1g sugar, 8g protein, 230mg potassium, 158mg phosphorus
Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN, is a New York City-based registered dietitian and chef. Check out her site and blog ChefAbbieGellman.com and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.