Vegetable accras

Name: Vegetable accras
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French Caribbean
Ingredients: 250 g plain wheat flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 200 ml warm water; 1 chayote, grated and squeezed dry; 6 chives or 1 bunch spring onions, chopped; 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 scotch bonnet chilli, seeded and chopped; 1 tsp salt; Juice of 1 lime; 700 ml vegetable oil, for frying

Local name: Accras de légumes

Caribbean fritters of seasoned batter with chives and parsley, bulked with grated chayote and lifted by chilli.

Published on 24 April 2026

Vegan#fritters#fried#chives#chilli#guadeloupe

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium

Method

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the warm water to a thick smooth batter.
Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Squeeze the grated chayote in your hands to remove its water.
Fold the chayote, chives, parsley, garlic and chilli into the batter, then add the lime juice.
Heat the oil to 175 °C. A drop of batter should rise in three seconds.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil, six at a time, and fry for 3 minutes, turning them once.
Drain on a rack and serve hot with sauce chien or pikliz.

The 30 minute rest hydrates the flour and gives airy accras rather than dense ones. Grated malanga stands in for the chayote and gives a firmer bite. Dip the spoon in the hot oil before each portion, and the batter slides off without sticking.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

This recipe also appears in

Vegan recipes

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 269 kcal
Protein: 5.3 g
Fat: 11.3 g
Carbohydrate: 37.5 g
Fibre: 2.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my accras greasy and heavy?

The oil was not hot enough when the batter went in. At 175°C a drop of batter surfaces in about three seconds; any cooler and the batter soaks before it seals. Fry only six at a time, since every addition drops the temperature of the oil.

What can replace the chayote?

Grated malanga works just as well and gives a slightly denser fritter. Either way, squeeze the grated vegetable hard in your hands before folding it in: the water it releases slackens the batter and the fritters spread instead of puffing.

How do I tone down the heat without losing the flavour?

Seed the scotch bonnet and cut away the pale inner membranes, which carry most of the heat, then use only half of it. The character of these fritters comes mainly from the spring onions, garlic and the large bunch of parsley, all of which stay untouched.

Chilli peppers, from mild to Scotch Bonnet
How Caribbean and African cuisines harness the perfume and heat of Scotch Bonnet, and how others pair chilli with palm sugar, tamarind or pomegranate.

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