Spicy Red Red with Fried Plantain and Gari

A comforting Ghanaian vegan dish featuring black-eyed peas stewed in a rich, spicy tomato and palm oil sauce, served with sweet fried plantains and granular gari.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 55 min
• Total: 1 hr 15 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: Ghanaian
• Difficulty: Medium

Dietary

• Vegan
• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber
• Pescatarian
• Vegetarian

Tags

• spicy
• savory
• comfort food
• healthy
• fry
• classic

Ingredients

• 2 can black-eyed peas (15 ounce, rinsed, drained)
• 0.25 cup red palm oil
• 1 yellow onion (large, chopped)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (minced)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
• 1 can tomato paste (6 ounce)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.5 cup dried smoked mackerel (flaked)
• 3 ripe plantains (peeled, sliced)
• 2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cup gari

Instructions

1. Heat red palm oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onion and cook until translucent and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Stir in the minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, and minced scotch bonnet pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the sauce deepens in color and the oil begins to separate.
4. Stir in the rinsed and drained black-eyed peas, vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If using, add the flaked dried smoked mackerel. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
5. While the stew simmers, prepare the fried plantains. Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the sliced ripe plantains in a single layer (work in batches if necessary). Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
6. To prepare the gari, place 2 cups gari in a bowl. Slowly pour 1 1/2 cups cold water over the gari, allowing it to absorb the water for about 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. It should be soft but still grainy.
7. Taste the Red Red stew and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot Red Red stew with a side of fried plantains and prepared gari. Diners can sprinkle the gari over their stew or eat it alongside.

Notes

If you don't have red palm oil, you can use regular vegetable oil, though the flavor and color will be slightly different. For extra depth, you can lightly mash a portion of the black-eyed peas into the stew during the last few minutes of cooking.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 710
• Protein: 28.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 85.3 g
• Fat: 33.1 g
• Fiber: 16.2 g
• Sodium: 820 mg
• Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
• Sugar: 15.6 g