1
Grind the peanuts
Blend roasted peanuts in a food processor until they form a thick paste, similar to peanut butter.
Benin | Snack
Kuli-Kuli
Crunchy groundnut crackers made by extracting the oil from peanut paste, then shaping and deep-frying the remaining cake. A beloved protein-rich snack.
Country
Benin
Region
West Africa
Time
45 min
Serves
8
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Kuli-Kuli are the crunch of Beninese markets. Vendors shape the groundnut paste into sticks, rings, or balls before frying. They are eaten as snacks, crumbled into salads, or ground back into powder for soups.
What the dish tastes like
Crunchy groundnut crackers made by extracting the oil from peanut paste, then shaping and deep-frying the remaining cake. A beloved protein-rich snack.
When to cook it
Best for Snack, with a medium cooking level and about 45 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
On its own or crumbled over salads
Follow the collection
Kuli-Kuli appears in 2 AfroKitchen collections. Start with Vegetarian Africa if you want more dishes in the same mood. Vegetarian Africa
Regional lane
Benin national table. A verified Benin dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
Chef watch-outs
- Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
- Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
- Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
- The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
- Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Kuli-Kuli
On its own or crumbled over salads
Best route from here
Benin national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
5 steps
45 min total
medium
2
Extract the oil
Knead the paste vigorously, squeezing out as much oil as possible. The paste should become crumbly and dry. Reserve the extracted oil.
This step is crucial — the drier the paste, the crunchier the kuli-kuli.
3
Season and shape
Mix salt and cayenne into the paste. Shape into small sticks, rings, or flat rounds about 1cm thick.
4
Fry
Heat oil to 170C. Fry in batches until deep golden brown and very crunchy, about 4-5 minutes per batch.
Keep the heat moderate to fry through without burning.
Fry kuli-kuli
05:00
5
Drain and cool
Drain on paper towels. Let cool completely — they crisp up more as they cool. Store in an airtight container.
Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.