Red Red
A black-eyed pea stew credited to the Ga people of Ghana's Accra coastal area, named for its two reds — the red palm oil the beans are cooked in, and the golden-red caramelized fried ripe plantain served alongside. It's genuine everyday Ghanaian food, sold from street carts and cooked at home, not a special-occasion dish. Unrefined red palm oil is essential to its real flavor and color; swapping in neutral vegetable oil, a common shortcut outside Ghana, strips the dish of its defining character.
Vegan-optional
⚠ Contains: Fish. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups black-eyed peas, soaked
- 4 tbsp red palm oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet chile
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tin mackerel (optional)
- 3 ripe plantains, sliced
- Salt
Steps
- Simmer the soaked black-eyed peas until tender.
- Sauté the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and chile in the red palm oil.
- Combine with the beans and their cooking liquid, and simmer to thicken. Stir in the mackerel if using.
- Separately, pan-fry the sliced ripe plantains until caramelized.
- Serve the stew topped with the fried plantain.