Beans and fried plantain are a familiar combination, but there is more than one way to put them on a plate.
In Ghana, beans and plantain come together in a dish called Red Red, a simple bean stew cooked with palm oil, tomatoes, onions and peppers, and served with sweet, fried ripe plantain.
If you have grown up eating Nigerian beans, most of the ingredients will look familiar. The difference is in how they come together. The palm oil gives the beans their deep red colour and a richer flavour, while the fried plantain adds sweetness to the savoury, slightly spicy stew.
So, if you have some beans and a few ripe plantains at home this weekend, here is one Ghanaian recipe worth trying.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the beans
2 cups dried black-eyed beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1-2 Scotch bonnet peppers
3-4 tablespoons palm oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 seasoning cube, optional
Salt to taste
Water, as needed
For the plantain
2 ripe plantains
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt, optional
Directions
1. Cook the beans
Wash the beans and pick out any stones or damaged beans. Put them in a pot, cover with enough water and cook until tender. This can take about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the beans. Once they are soft, set them aside with some of the cooking liquid.
2. Make the pepper base
Blend the tomatoes, red bell pepper, Scotch bonnet, ginger and garlic until fairly smooth. Heat the palm oil in a pot over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onion softens.
Add the blended pepper mixture, season with salt and the seasoning cube if using, and allow it to cook for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally and let the tomato mixture reduce.
3. Add the beans
Add the cooked beans to the sauce and stir gently. If the mixture is too thick, add a little of the reserved bean cooking water. Allow the beans to simmer in the sauce for another 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Fry the plantain
Peel the plantains and slice them diagonally or into rounds. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the plantain on both sides until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Serve
Serve the Red Red hot with the fried plantain.The beans should be soft and rich, with enough sauce to coat them without turning the dish into a watery stew. The sweetness of the plantain is what makes the combination work so well