ENHANCED CONVENIENCE OF AKARA PREPARATION WITH A TWO-STAGE FRYING PROCESS

Abstract

Akara is a fried finger food that is very popular in West Africa. It has the potential to increase the consumption of cowpeas in the United States if made more convenient to prepare. Fried foods are very popular, but tend to be consumed to a greater extent in foodservice settings than in the home. Therefore, if akara were made convenient for this use, its utilization could be increased. The samples in this study were initially cooked by frying and then fried a second time in order to either reheat or complete cooking. The three variables were pre and postcooking times [seconds (s)] and starch level (%). Fat content of akara ranged from 31 to 41% and moisture content from 39 to 49%. Instrumental color measurements showed a darker product than samples from previous studies with L* (Lightness) values of about 37 to 47; texture measurements (peak force) ranged from 512 to 660 newtons (n). Crust thickness also increased with a second frying step. Internal temperatures were recorded on the partially cooked and the finished-cooked samples. Temperatures ranged from 66.3C to 96.3C depending on the level of each variable. Cooking time had more of an effect on internal temperatures than did the starch level. The temperatures of the finish-fried samples showed a direct relationship with postcooking time.