Bollitos - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 (15 7/8 ounce) cans black-eyed peas
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
olive oil, for sauteing
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
vegetable oil or peanut oil, for deep drying
1/2 cup flour (approximately)

Preparation

Drain liquid from canned peas, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again.
Grind peas with the garlic and a little bit of water in a blender until you have a thick, lumpy puree.
Add in the salt and cumin and blend well.
In a pan, lightly saute the chopped onion and green pepper for 1-2 minutes in 2 tablespoons olive oil; let cool.
In a bowl, mix the onion/pepper mixture into the ground pea mixture.
Add in fresh lime juice.
Gradually blend in white flour, a little at a time, until your dough is the consistency of cookie dough.
Use a large deep frying pan; add vegetable oil to a depth of about 3 inches; heat oil to about 360\u00b0-375\u00b0; don't let the oil get too hot (you may use a deep fat fryer if you have one, following the maker's directions).
Drop dough by tablespoons into the hot oil-cook a few at a time and don't overcrowd the pan.
Let them cook until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; serve hot with lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.