Akara with pap and pawpaw

Name: Akara with pap and pawpaw
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3 portions

Well-fried bean cakes with smooth pap and fresh pawpaw. A familiar breakfast providing protein, folate, iron and vitamin C, and easy to eat in small portions.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Portions: 3

Moderate
Pregnancy
High-protein
Folate-containing
Budget-friendly
Vegetarian

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Ingredient unavailable: use brown beans (oloyin) instead of black-eyed beans
Lower-cost alternative: use orange or any washed local fruit in season instead of pawpaw

Ingredients

For 3 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

300 g black-eyed beans, soaked and skins removed
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 fresh pepper, optional, leave out if spice is difficult
300 ml groundnut oil, for frying
200 g pap (ogi) paste
600 ml safe drinking water, boiling
300 g pawpaw, washed, peeled and chopped

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Blend the soaked beans with the onion and pepper to a thick, smooth batter, then whisk to lighten.
Step 2. Heat the oil and fry spoonfuls of batter for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden and cooked right through to the centre.
Step 3. Drain on kitchen paper.
Step 4. Loosen the pap paste with cool water, then pour on the boiling water in a steady stream, stirring until thick and fully cooked.
Step 5. Serve two or three akara with a small bowl of pap and the chopped pawpaw. Keep portions small if appetite is reduced.

Allergens for your selection

No declarable allergens in the ingredients as currently selected.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash all fruit, vegetables and leafy greens thoroughly in clean water before use.
Cook meat, chicken, fish and eggs thoroughly — no pink meat, no runny egg yolk or white.
Keep raw meat, chicken and fish away from cooked food, and use separate boards, knives and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where power allows, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If you cannot refrigerate safely, cook only what you will eat.
Use pasteurised milk and dairy products, and avoid raw or undercooked foods during pregnancy.
No meal can be described as completely risk-free. Guidance can differ — follow current Nigerian maternal-health advice or the advice of your midwife, doctor or antenatal clinic.
Milder in flavour and easy to eat in small amounts when appetite is reduced or you feel tired. Serve half and keep the rest chilled if a full plate feels like too much, and leave out stronger spices or ginger if smells are difficult. This recipe is not a treatment for sickness in pregnancy; if you cannot keep food or fluids down, contact your antenatal clinic.

Allergens

No common declarable allergens are listed in this recipe's ingredients.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
Food safety and applied nutrition — National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), reviewed 4 September 2026
WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026