2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked for at least one hour
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
1 small onion minced
1 fresh red hot pepper
vegetable oil
salt

Drain the water from the beans. Grind or mash the beans. This should make a fine paste.

In a mixing bowl, mix bean paste with enough water to make a batter about like cake batter—thick but still easy to pour. Beat it well with a wire whisk or use your hand. Hands work best because the batter can be a little stiff.

Add onions and garlic and salt to taste.

Beat the mixture some more. You want to beat air into it so it will puff in the hot oil. Add more water if the batter gets too thick.

Heat three or four inches of oil in a pot. As the oil heats, whip more air into the batter. When the oil gets hot, you can start dropping the batter into the oil, either with a spoon or with your hand. Yes, believe it or not, that is how they do it in Benin—by hand. Just make sure not to touch the hot oil!

The bean balls should fry about three minutes, otherwise the onions won’t cook. When a ball is brown on one side, flip it over. When it is done, scoop it out with a fork and drain it on a paper towel.

For the sauce, grind up some hot red pepper and chop some onion into it. Salt to taste and you have the sauce. Enjoy your Ottammari bean balls!

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