Accra Cassava (Kouti, Cassava Fritters)
Accra Cassava (Kouti or Cassava Fritters) – A popular street food that is crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Best enjoyed fresh off the pan!
Ahhh…Accra Cassava. Oh, how I’ve missed you! Back in my hometown, Yaoundé (Cameroon), I could have a good old Accra made of cassava practically any time of the day. Yes, they’re sold on every street corner imaginable.
These cassava fritters are also a popular street food in the Republic of Guinea known as kouti. They’re crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Fresh out of the pan, the crunch is crackling but fades as it cools down. So they’re best enjoyed hot or warm.
I’ve not enjoyed these bite-sized crunchy balls for a while now, partly because I have to make them from scratch. Sigh!
The Accra Craving Satisfied
Ok, the real reason I’ve not made these cassava fritters is because I’ve been satisfying my craving with corn Accra banana and stuffing myself with whole wheat accra banana. Seriously, I love anything Accra, and I can never stop at 20.
So finally! I discovered a shortcut for this fritter recipe using frozen cassava and am so excited! Why it took so long to figure that out, I don’t know.
Recipe Ingredients
These deep-fried cassava fritters only require two ingredients—cassava and salt. But you can include overly ripe bananas to sweeten things up. I have a sweet tooth, as I’m sure you already know.
How to Make Accra Cassava
- Defrost the frozen grated cassava.
- Drain – Using a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel, squeeze the heck out of the grated cassava. It should be dry with very little moisture. (Photo 1)
- Mash overly ripe bananas with a potato masher or puree in a food processor or blender. (Photos 2-3)
- Mix – In a medium bowl, add cassava, salt, and mashed bananas. Mix well. The mixture should be firm enough to roll into balls. (Photos 4-5)
- Form – Roll about a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hands into little bite-size balls. (Photo 6)
- Fry – Heat oil (about 3 inches deep) to 375℉ (190℃) in a skillet or saucepan. You can also test the oil’s temperature by dropping a 1-inch cube of bread into it. (If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil is at 365℉/185℃, so give it another minute). Gently place the cassava balls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. (Photo 7)
- Serve – Remove from hot oil, drain well, and serve. (Photo 8)
Tips and Tricks
Frozen grated cassava is available in most Asian and Filipino markets, and even some Hispanic markets. If you can’t find them grated, you can get the frozen or fresh cassava and blend finely in a food processor or blender.
What Goes With Accra Cassava
This crunchy goodness is served as a snack or side dish accompanied by African pepper sauce.
Enjoy!
Watch How To Make It
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Accra Cassava (Kouti or Cassava Fritters)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grated cassava (frozen is okay)
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more (adjust to taste)
- 3 large overly ripe bananas (optional)
Instructions
- Squeeze excess moisture from the grated cassava using a cheesecloth or kitchen cloth. It should be as dry as possible. Set aside.
- Mash the overly ripe bananas with a potato masher, spoon, food processor, or blender until pureed.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cassava, salt, and mashed bananas well. The mixture should be firm enough to roll into balls.
- Roll about a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hands into little bite-sized balls.
- Heat oil (about 3 inches deep) to 375℉ (190℃) in a skillet or saucepan. You can also test the oil's temperature by dropping in a 1-inch cube of bread. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil is at 365. Gently place cassava balls in hot oil and fry until golden brown.
- Remove from hot oil, drain well, and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Frozen grated cassava is available in most Asian and Filipino markets, and even some Hispanic markets. If you can’t find them grated, you can get the frozen or fresh cassava and blend finely in a food processor or blender.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Hi,
I would like to try your recipe, but where I live, we only have the fresh root available.
Shall I boil it or grate it directly? I’m a bit afraid of the toxins in the root
Thanks a lot for your help
Hi Livia,
Here is how to do it .Peel and soak the cassava for a few hours to remove toxins. Grate it finely, then squeeze out excess moisture before using it in the recipe. This ensures it’s safe and gives the best texture. Let me know how it turns out!
I enjoyed making these with my 18 months old – she helped with grating the cassava. I like that it’s a simple recipe, requiring just a few ingredients. Do some skip the salt in the recipe? My kiddos probably didn’t like the taste of salt in them, but I’m enjoying all that they didn’t eat. Next time I’ll skip the salt and see. Thank you
Hi Esther. You definitely can cut down on the amount of salt or omit it, it will still taste great :)!
I totally enjoyed this recipe. I live in the Caribbean, cassava is easily purchaes fresh at markets. I grated fine n mixed with oats, fresh green seasoning, onions and garlic, added 1 tbs sugar to 3 cups of the mixture with a small amount of rising agent
I shallowed fried. It was delicious. But i really want to bake it. Any tips on baking please?. Guessing it must have oil or butter 2 d mixture.
Great! Yes butter or oil makes it moist . I would suggest 2-3 Tablespoons of melted butter .
What about the pepper sauce to accompany it? Anyone has the recipe?
Hi, Crystal. Please see the recipe of my African Pepper Sauce here >> https://www.africanbites.com/african-pepper-sauce/. Enjoy!
Congratulations Imma. Your presentation is fantastic. You have taken me some forty-five years back when I was in elementary school. We had a name for this: “Five for Five” I am sure I will eat your Accra in my dream. I hope to try your recipe this weekend.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Ni Jude! It is great to have you here :). Ah! Elementary school. Those mamas selling this at school knew I was a regular customer haha. Those were indeed the good old days and I am glad this recipe is taking you down memory lane. Looking forward to your feedback. Do not forget to pair it with this pepper sauce here https://www.africanbites.com/african-pepper-sauce/
Enjoy!!
Thank you for posting this recipe.
I’m surprised that most of your 15 African Snack recipes use wheat flour. I was hoping to find more traditional snacks using traditional foods – root vegetables, for example, as opposed to wheat.
Will Cassava flour work? I’m trying to get the ingredients for this but I can’t seem to find them in my area.
Cassava flour should work but you would have to play around with the texture . Don’t have an exact measurement for cassava flour yet.
I love this recipe for accra banana!! I tried it yesterday for my African potlock and it turned out great. I couldn’t find the already grated cassava so I bought frozen peeled cassava, cut in cubes, and put it in a food processor. My bananas didn’t ripen to perfection in time so I added dates to my recipe to sweeten it without adding sugar. I also added garri to get the gritty texture. The modifications worked out well. I really like the simplicity of your recipes. They bring down the mental and physical barriers of cooking delicious Cameroonian food.
Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share this with me .
Can you bake them instead of frying them?
I am going to make your bammy recipe. So excited to try it with coconut milk and ghee! Thanks.
I have not tried baking these. Baking would not get that crispy exterior- the texture would not be the same
Can I use fresh cassava?
Yes, you can use fresh grated cassava. It works just fine.
Can I use wheat flour instead of cassava?
You sure can. I do it all the time and it works out just fine.
Imma this looks delicious. I have cassava flour (corse ground) at home . can i use that instead with a little water to rehydrate it?
You sure can. Might be slightly different in texture than fresh cassava. But it still works just fine.
I just love what you are doing sharing all these recipes. Excited to know grated cassava is sold in stores. I’ve been going through the gruesome process of starting from scratch. Thank you. Do you know what Stores carry them?
Definitely any market that cater to Asians , especially Filipino stores. Also check African markets . If you are up for it , buy frozen cassava and blend in a food processor.
I have tried the recipe like 3 times already and it’s delicious. thank you for this recipe. I love it.
Hi Dibo! Glad to hear this. Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe! We bought a bag of frozen grated cassava thinking we would use it as gari, but the texture (wetness) threw us off once it thawed. i wasn’t realizing that it needs to be squeezed dry. i did that then went ahead and made these fritters (without bananas). they turned out great!
Awesome!! Glad it all worked out for you!
Hi, I want to try this. What kind of oil do you use to fry the mixture?
Canola or vegetable oil
Another hit. I generally do not like to cook but with your blog, cooking is becoming a joy. Many thanks.
Aww, thank you !
I have been looking for this recipe forever. Thank you. it. Lovely pictures.
Girl, let me know how you like it . Thanks for stopping by!
J, let me know how you like them.
Great presentation. I think I have to make mine, Depuis December I have been craving for these ummy snacks.