Boiling • Frying • Simmering and Stewing • bouillon cube • cayenne pepper or red pepper • cowpeas (black-eyed peas) • fish (dried or salted or smoked) • Maggi® sauce or Maggi® cube • oil (red palm oil) • onion • plantain (plantain banana) • prawns or shrimp (dried prawns or dried shrimp) • salt • tomato • Ghana
Red-Red
Red-Red, a popular dish in Ghana made from cowpeas (black-eyed peas), might be named for the combination of red pepper and red palm oil. The Red-Red cowpeas stew is usually served with Fried Plantains.
Red-Red Recipe
Red-Red, a popular dish in Ghana made from cowpeas, red pepper, and red palm oil.
Ingredients
3 cups dried cowpeas (black-eyed peas) or similar
1 cup red palm oil (or vegetable oil or a combination of the two)
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, quartered
2 bouillon cubes or Maggi® cubes (optional) — or — a small piece of smoked or dried fish and/or one spoonful shrimp powder
cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
4 ripe or near-ripe (but not overly ripe) plantains
Instructions
1
Clean and rinse the black-eyed peas in water in a large pot. Soak them in water for at least an hour or overnight. After soaking them, rub them together between your hands to remove the skins. Rinse to wash away the skins and any other debris. Drain them in a colander. If using smoked or dried fish: remove bones and skin, rinse and soak in water, then dry. If using dried shrimp: grind the shrimp (or use already ground or powdered shrimp).
2
Place the black-eyed peas in a large pot, fill with water to just cover the peas. Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender, 30 to 60 minutes. When cooked, the peas should be moist, but not standing in water.
3
While peas are cooking: Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the onions until slightly browned, then add tomatoes, and fish and dried shrimp (if desired). Mash and stir the mixture to form a sauce.
4
Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the black-eyed peas. Add buillon or Maggi cubes (if not using fish or shrimp). SImmer for ten minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne or red pepper to taste.
5
While peas and sauce is simmering: Prepare Fried Plantains.
6
Serve peas and plantains side by side on a plate.
Ingredients
3 cups dried cowpeas (black-eyed peas) or similar
1 cup red palm oil (or vegetable oil or a combination of the two)
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, quartered
2 bouillon cubes or Maggi® cubes (optional) — or — a small piece of smoked or dried fish and/or one spoonful shrimp powder
cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
4 ripe or near-ripe (but not overly ripe) plantains
Directions
1
Clean and rinse the black-eyed peas in water in a large pot. Soak them in water for at least an hour or overnight. After soaking them, rub them together between your hands to remove the skins. Rinse to wash away the skins and any other debris. Drain them in a colander. If using smoked or dried fish: remove bones and skin, rinse and soak in water, then dry. If using dried shrimp: grind the shrimp (or use already ground or powdered shrimp).
2
Place the black-eyed peas in a large pot, fill with water to just cover the peas. Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender, 30 to 60 minutes. When cooked, the peas should be moist, but not standing in water.
3
While peas are cooking: Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the onions until slightly browned, then add tomatoes, and fish and dried shrimp (if desired). Mash and stir the mixture to form a sauce.
4
Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the black-eyed peas. Add buillon or Maggi cubes (if not using fish or shrimp). SImmer for ten minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne or red pepper to taste.
5
While peas and sauce is simmering: Prepare Fried Plantains.
6
Serve peas and plantains side by side on a plate.
Maybe you would like some Kelewele, instead of plain fried plantains.