RED RED RECIPE

'Red red', a slang for black eyed beans cooked in a Palm oil stew in Ghana, is a popular dish. The distinct red colour of the Palm oil is what lends it's name to the description of this dish. 

It's very important to source the best spiced Palm oil , known as 'Zomi'. The taste for quality is by finding the distinct natural, aromatic and creamy oil taste, that it should have. 

Ingredients;

Serves 4

450g of Black eyed beans (soaked overnight in 1.5 litres of cold water)

1.2 litres of water

2 large, thinly sliced banana shallots / white onions

2 tablespoons of spiced Palm oil (Zomi)

4 large blended tomatoes

30g of blended ginger 

1 finely diced Habanero chili or 2 green chilies (optional)

Shrimp stock (Optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD:

Tip: Soaking the beans overnight, helps cut your cooking time in half. For a quicker option soak the beans in warm water for 35-45 minutes. 

Black eyed beans

Drain the water from the soaked beans and wash the beans by running it under the tap

Pour the water into a saucepan and place on a medium heat.

Add the beans and cook for about 37 -45 minutes. (I prefer my beans with a slight bite hence I cook it for 30 minutes).

Set the cooked beans aside and place a saucepan on a medium heat.

Stew;

Add the Palm oil (Zomi) to a saucepan and warm it up.

Add the onions and fry gently for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped chilies and grated ginger. Fry for 5 minutes and add the blended tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes gently for 5-7 minutes and add the stock cube (optional)

Cook for a further 5-8 minutes (until the oil separates from the tomatoes).

Add the beans and it's juices and mix well. 

Cook the beans, gently for another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens and has a double cream consistency.

Add salt to taste and serve with crunchy or plain fried Plantain 

Crunchy Plantain

Ripened Plantain 

 Ingredients;

3 ripened, peeled and sliced Plantains into a bowl

125g of blended cornflakes in a bowl

2 whisked eggs in a bowl

Salt

600ml Groundnut oil or Sunflower oil

Crunchy Plantain

 Method;

Add the oil to a frying pan and place on a medium heat, till it’s hot but not smoking.

Add a pinch of salt to the Plantain and mix well.

Dip the Plantain to the egg mixture, roll into the corn flakes and then fry for a minute and a half on each side or until golden.

Cover your colander with a couple of sheets of kitchen paper. 

Using a slotted ladle, remove the perfectly cooked plantain and place it in the colander. 

Continue the above process until you’ve fried all the Plantain.

Perfect to have it on it’s own or with beans stew.

Cassava / Yuca

Best served with Gari 

Gari

(A West African staple made out of grated cassava and dried, with a resemblance and uses to couscous)

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa', like this 'party Jollof rice' recipe.  

All photos and recipes are by owner of the blog. Seek permission before use and always reference it to my page.