Recent trendr in food processing have emphasized the development and improvement of reduced fat foods. l l e objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of edible coatings formulated from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, methylcellulose, corn zein, and amylose in restricting oil absorption during deepfat frying of akara, a traditional West Afncan food made from whipped cowpea paste. Effectiveness of two methods of coating application (spraying and dipping) were examined. Portioned balls of akara paste were partially-fned in peanut oil for 100 s at 193C. Coatings were applied, dried, and the product was frozen at -I8C. ABer thawing, samples were finish fned at 166C to an internal temperalure of 70C. Total moisture content of all coated samples was significantly higher than the control. Coated akara absorbed signijicantly less oil than the control for both sprayed and dipped applications. For both applications, the coated samples appeared to be soggy and less brown when compared to the control samples.'Please send correspondence to Manjeet S. Chinnan, Professor,

Akara, a popular West African fried food made from dry cowpeas, contains about 31% fat on a dry weight basis. Previous work in our laboratory showed that akara made from a 94% cowpea flour/6% soy flour blend plus edible coatings absorbed 26% less oil during frying than akara made from 100% cowpea. The objective of the present study was to determine the quality and acceptance of modified akara, either freshly fried (one‐stage) or partially fried/frozen/thawed/finish‐fried (two‐stage) as would be employed in the home or a foodservice setting. Soy‐substituted akara was firmer than freshly fried, 100% cowpea (control) akara. Methylcellulose‐coated akara was significantly different in total color from the control. Consumer acceptance studies indicated that, compared with two‐stage fried/100% cowpea akara, the two‐stage fried/6% soy formulation had similar hedonic ratings for flavor, texture, oiliness and overall acceptance. Sensory evaluation also indicated that two‐stage fried/6% soy akara with edible coatings was considered unacceptable (ratings < 5.0).