Red Red (Ghanaian Peanut Stew) with Fried Plantain

Ingredients

Contains peanut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Pick through the dried black-eyed peas and discard stones or bad bits; rinse well under cold water.

   5 min
2. 2

   Soak the peas in a bowl covered with three times their volume of water for 8 hours or overnight.

   For a quicker option, place peas in a pot, cover with 3 cups water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn off heat, cover and let sit 1 hour before draining.

   480 min
3. 3

   Drain the soaked peas, transfer to a pot, add fresh water to cover by 2–3 cm, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender but not mushy.

   Cooking time varies by age of beans; test after 30 minutes. If using two 15-oz cans (drained and rinsed) instead of dried peas, skip this and proceed to step 7.

   50 min
4. 4

   While the peas cook, peel and slice the plantains on a diagonal into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices.

   5 min
5. 5

   Heat the 30 ml vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium; add plantain slices in a single layer and fry until golden on both sides, about 4–5 minutes per side.

   Work in batches to avoid crowding; drain on paper towels and keep warm.

   10 min
6. 6

   In a large sauté pan or wide pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat until shimmering.

   1 min
7. 7

   Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.

   6 min
8. 8

   Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant.

   1 min
9. 9

   Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika; cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.

   2 min
10. 10

    Add the canned chopped tomatoes, the bouillon cube (if using), black pepper and the whole Scotch bonnet (if using); bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes.

    5 min
11. 11

    Ladle out about 1 cup of the cooked peas and mash them roughly with a fork or potato masher.

    Mashing some peas will thicken the stew and give it a creamy texture without needing extra flour.

    2 min
12. 12

    Stir the mashed peas and the remaining whole peas into the tomato sauce.

    1 min
13. 13

    Whisk the peanut butter with 250 ml water (or stock) until smooth, then stir this mixture into the pot; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the stew is thick and well combined.

    If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water; desired consistency is saucy but not watery.

    15 min
14. 14

    Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more pepper as needed; if you used a whole Scotch bonnet and want less heat, remove it before serving.

    1 min
15. 15

    Either nestle the fried plantain into the stew to warm for a minute, or serve them alongside each portion. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley if using.

    2 min
16. 16

    Serve hot with steamed rice, boiled yams, or on its own—each plate should get a generous scoop of stew and several plantain slices.