Red Red

Red Red (Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Fried Plantain)

Red Red is a beloved Ghanaian stew of black-eyed peas slow-cooked in red palm oil with tomatoes, onions and peppers, served alongside sweet caramelised ripe plantain. The name comes from the deep russet hue the dish takes on from the combination of palm oil and tomato.

Prep

15 min

Cook

60 min

Total

75 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dried black-eyed peas, or ~480 g / 17 oz fresh/canned, drained
• •120 ml (½ cup) red palm oil, traditional; do not substitute with vegetable oil if you want authentic colour and flavour
• •1 large red onion, finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 thumb-sized piece (1 thumb) fresh ginger, grated
• •1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• •1 small scotch bonnet or habanero chilli, whole, pierced, or chopped for more heat; remove seeds to temper
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, blended smooth, or 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes
• •2 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp ground dried shrimp (optional), nkrakra; traditional umami boost, or use a crumbled dried shrimp powder
• •1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
• •500 ml (2 cups) water or light stock, plus more if needed
• •2 large ripe plantains, yellow with black spots for sweetness; use unripe (green) for firmer, less sweet dodo-style
• •60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil, for frying plantain, palm oil also traditional for the plantain

Steps

1. 1 Pick over the dried black-eyed peas, rinse well, then soak in plenty of cool water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain. (If using canned peas, skip the soaking and reduce cooking to 20 minutes.)
2. 2 Place the soaked peas in a pot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 35–45 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside; they should be cooked through but not falling apart.
3. 3 While the peas cook, heat the red palm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat for about 2 minutes until it loosens and deepens in colour. Add the chopped red onion and cook 5–6 minutes until softened and translucent.
4. 4 Stir in the garlic, ginger and diced red bell pepper; cook 2 minutes more until fragrant.
5. 5 Add the tomato paste and stir for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flavour and deepen the colour.
6. 6 Pour in the blended fresh tomatoes (or tinned tomatoes), add the whole scotch bonnet, the ground dried shrimp if using, and the salt. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the oil begins to separate and rise to the surface — this is the visual cue that the stew is properly cooked.
7. 7 Add the drained black-eyed peas and the 500 ml water or stock. Stir, then simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, mashing a few peas against the side of the pot to thicken the gravy. The final consistency should be thick and stew-like, not soupy. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the whole scotch bonnet before serving, or leave it in for presentation.
8. 8 Meanwhile, peel the plantains by slicing off the ends and scoring the skin lengthwise. Slice diagonally into 1 cm (½-inch) thick ovals.
9. 9 Heat the frying oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the plantain slices in a single layer for 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and caramelised on the outside and tender within. Drain on paper. (For a lighter version, brush the slices with oil and bake at 200 °C / 400 °F for 15–18 minutes, turning once.)
10. 10 Serve the Red Red hot in bowls with the fried plantain alongside or layered on top. Traditional accompaniments are boiled white rice, gari (cassava granules) or simply more plantain.
11. 11 Safety and doneness notes: cook the black-eyed peas until completely tender — under-cooked peas are unpleasantly firm and harder to digest. The stew must reach a sustained simmer; the oil separating on the surface is the reliable sign the tomato base is fully cooked. If using ground dried shrimp, ensure it is from a trusted source and stored dry, as it is not cooked through by the brief simmer. Plantain should be fried until golden and soft all the way through with no starchy rawness at the centre.