Red Red Recipe: Ghanaian Bean Stew with Fried Plantain

Red red is one of Ghana's great comfort meals: black-eyed peas simmered in a rich red palm oil and tomato stew, served with sweet fried ripe plantain and a sprinkle of gari. The name comes from its color, red from the palm oil and red-orange from the plantain. It's cheap, filling, naturally plant-based and loved from Accra chop bars to Ghanaian homes in Chicago.

Ingredients

How to make red red

1. Cook the beans. Rinse the beans and pick out any stones. Cover with water and boil for 45 to 60 minutes, until soft but not falling apart (about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker). Keep 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. Warm the palm oil. Heat the palm oil gently in a pot over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let it smoke.
3. Fry the base. Add the onion and fry until soft. Stir in the ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes. Add the blended tomatoes (and tomato paste, if using) and the scotch bonnet. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil rises to the top.
5. Season. Stir in the crayfish, crushed Maggi cube and salt.
6. Add the beans. Stir in the beans with a splash of their cooking water. Simmer 10 minutes. Mash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken the stew.
7. Fry the plantain. Slice the plantains on an angle, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and fry in hot oil until golden and caramelized on both sides.
8. Serve. Spoon the beans onto plates, add plantain on the side and sprinkle gari over the top.

Tips for the best red red

• Use really ripe plantain. Mostly black skins mean sweet, soft plantain that caramelizes beautifully.
• Don't overheat palm oil. Gentle heat keeps its flavor. Smoking palm oil turns bitter.
• Make it heartier. Add smoked mackerel, dried herrings or corned beef to the stew.
• Soak to cook faster. Soaking the beans overnight cuts the boiling time and can make them easier to digest.

What to serve with red red

Fried plantain and gari are the classic trio. For a bigger spread, add kelewele instead of plain plantain, or serve with kenkey.

Shop red red ingredients

Asiko Zomi Palm OilAuthentic flavor → Black-Eyed PeasThe base → Honey BeansSweet & creamy → Ghana GariTo sprinkle → De Rica Tomato PasteRich red stew → Maggi Seasoning CubesSeasoning →

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Red red questions

Why is it called red red?

From its color: the red palm oil in the stew and the red-orange fried plantain on the side.

Is red red vegan?

It can be. Leave out the crayfish or dried shrimp and use a vegetable stock cube, and the whole dish is plant-based.

What beans are used for red red?

Black-eyed peas are the classic choice. Honey beans (ewa oloyin) give a sweeter, creamier stew.

Can I use vegetable oil instead of palm oil?

You can, but you'll lose the color and flavor that make red red special. Palm oil is really the heart of the dish.

How long does red red keep?

The bean stew keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for 2 months. Fry the plantain fresh.

Keep reading

Kelewele: Ghanaian Spicy Fried Plantain What Is Kenkey? Ghana's Corn Dough Easy Egusi Soup Recipe