Red Red

Name: Red Red
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 300g Dried Black-Eyed Peas, soaked and boiled until tender; 120ml Red Palm Oil; 2 medium Onions, chopped; 4 medium Tomatoes, chopped; 2 tbsp Tomato Paste; 1 Scotch Bonnet Chili, whole or chopped; to taste; 3 cloves of Garlic, minced; 1 tbsp Ginger, fresh, grated; 150g Smoked Mackerel, skinned and flaked (traditional smoked fish); 1 1/2 cubes of Seasoning Cube, Maggi; or 1 tsp bouillon powder; 1 tsp Salt, or to taste; 4 Plantains, ripe (yellow with black spots); 500ml Vegetable Oil, for frying; Some Water, for soaking and boiling the beans and for the stew; 1 pinch of Salt

Red Red is a comforting Ghanaian dish of creamy black-eyed peas simmered in a vibrant, palm-oil tomato stew and served alongside sweet, caramelized fried plantains. Smoky fish, a little heat and warm ginger-garlic notes make this hearty plate simultaneously flavorful and homey—perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.

Red Red is a comforting Ghanaian dish of creamy black-eyed peas simmered in a vibrant, palm-oil tomato stew and served alongside s... Show more

Traditional West African Recipe

Health Grade

B- · Healthy

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

1,80 €

Calories

862 kcal

healthy

low sugar

kid friendly

comfort food

Method

Soak the beans

Pick through the Dried Black-Eyed Peas, rinse them well, and cover them with plenty of Water in a bowl. Leave them to soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours, so they soften evenly. Drain them well before cooking.

Simmer the beans

Tip the soaked peas into a pot and cover them with fresh water by a few centimeters. Bring them to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the beans are tender but still holding their shape. Add a little more water if the pot starts to look dry.

Chop the aromatics

Chop the Onions and Tomatoes, mince the Garlic, grate the Ginger, and finely chop the Scotch Bonnet Chili if you want extra heat; leave it whole for a gentler stew. If the Smoked Mackerel is in larger pieces, pull it into flakes with a fork and check for bones.

Build the stew

Heat the Red Palm Oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 4 minutes until softened, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, Tomato Paste, the Scotch Bonnet, garlic, and ginger and cook for 6 minutes more, stirring often, until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to glisten around the edges. Add the drained beans and the flaked mackerel, then season with the Seasoning Cube, Salt, and a splash of water. Simmer for 10 minutes until the stew is thick, glossy, and well combined.

Fry the plantains

Score the skins lengthwise, peel the ripe Plantains, and slice them on a slight diagonal into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the Vegetable Oil in a skillet over medium heat, then fry the slices in batches for 3 minutes per side until they are golden and caramelized at the edges. Transfer them to paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and serve them with the stew.