This Ghanaian red recipe uses pantry-friendly ingredients to make a hearty, heartwarming meal. This traditional Ghanaian dish features perfectly cooked beans in a spicy tomato sauce, fragrant spices, and palm oil, often served with sweet, crunchy fried plantains.
Whether you're new to West African cuisine and are looking for an introduction or are craving the comfort of a go-to old favorite, this red recipe is sure to please.
Ghanaian red is a rich bean stew that uses mainly palm oil and black-eyed peas. The red gets its name from the color of the palm oil and the tomato sauce that is used in preparation, and as a result, the dish has a reddish hue. The stew is flavored with spices, onions, peppers, etc., and served with rice and fried plantains.
This dish is widely enjoyed as both a take-home meal and as street food in Ghana.
How do you serve traditional Ghanaian red?
A traditional Ghanaian red goes well with fried ripe plantains called kelewele-style plantains if fried with spices, though traditionally, red is eaten with sweet fried plantains without spices. It can be served with rice or gari as well.
The Ghanaian red ingredients are available in most grocery stores and African markets. Each ingredient contributes to this Ghanaian red stew's texture, aroma and flavor.
You could eliminate the dried shrimp or crayfish powder and replace it with vegetable stock or just water. The palm oil gives the authentic flavour and colour, but you will need the tomatoes and tomato paste to create a thick sauce that coats the beans.
Related Resource: Ghanaian Kelewele Recipe: 9 Tips for Top Spiced Plantains
The Ghanaian red sauce beans are cooked till soft, a good tomato base is created, and the contents are cooked till they are well cooked. Use dried beans for a homely approach or use canned black-eyed peas for a quick option.
Wash the dried beans and pick out any broken or bad beans. Soak them for a few hours if you like, then cook them in fresh water until soft, typically 45-60 minutes depending on the age. Drain them and save some of the cooking liquid. If canned beans are being used, simply drain and rinse.
In a saucepan, heat palm oil over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until the onions soften. Add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Add the pepper and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce thickens.
Stir in the cooked beans with the sauce. Add a splash of the remaining bean cooking water or vegetable stock until you have a thick yet spoonable stew. Season to taste and add a little salt and black pepper, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Taste again, and season accordingly.
Ghanaian red fried plantains give a little sweetness and crispness to the hearty, savory stew. For Ghanaian red, fry your plantain pieces in plenty of hot oil until crisp and sweet. Select ripe plantains that have more dark patches than yellow. They should be just soft, not mushy, or the pieces may fall apart when frying.
Peel the plantains and cut them into rounds or diagonally. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, frying the slices, a few at a time, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel, and serve hot with your favourite stew.
This dish is a traditional Ghanaian red recipe with black-eyed peas because they soften while retaining their form. To prevent the beans from falling apart and to maintain the consistency of the stew, do not stir vigorously when you add the beans to the tomato sauce.
Ensure that the consistency is much more substantial than runny, with a generous amount of sauce to cover each bean. The need to add hot water. If the stew is thickening too much, stir in a small dash of hot water, or if it appears to be too watery, cook for a couple more minutes uncovered.
Yes, you can make it without palm oil, but it will lack flavour and colour. We use it because it gives the dish an earthy flavour and the characteristic orange-red hue. To mimic that flavour, use a mild vegetable oil to cook the base of onions and tomatoes.
For a leaner option, use a small dash of olive or sunflower oil. It can still be a tasty Ghanaian bean stew recipe, but it's not going to be quite the same as real red Ghanaian style. Using the tomatoes, onions, ginger and pepper in proportion helps maintain the feel of the dish.
The overall cooking time will vary depending on whether you are using dried or canned beans. Dried beans usually require soaking and then a boiling period of between 45 and 60 minutes, which is followed by about 30 minutes to prepare and cook the stew. With the plantains in the meal, expect a total of between 75 and 100 minutes.
If you use canned black-eyed peas, the West African bean stew and the frying of the plantains can be done within about 35-45 minutes. This guide provides a quick way to make the Ghanaian red recipe for a weeknight dinner without sacrificing the essence of the dish.
Here's the best recipe for Ghanaian red—the combination of beans, tomatoes, onions, and palm oil that makes up this filling for the Ghanaian red recipe. Here's how you get that classic combination of sweet and savory—serve it with crispy fried plantains.
Whether you make this the authentic African recipe or a quick vegan Ghanaian red, you want to ensure the tomato sauce is cooked down.
Yes, it can be frozen in an airtight container, such as a plastic freezer container. Allow it to cool and then freeze in a lidded box. Use within about three months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat on the hob with a little water.
Feel free to add habanero for the same spicy heat or replace it with a milder chili if you don't want your dish as spicy. You may choose to omit the chilli altogether. The tomatoes, garlic, onion, and ginger will still provide loads of flavour. It neutralizes the chilli.
Yep! Red is easy to make ahead for the same reason that the flavours are actually better the next day. Like with the fried plantains, keep the red in the refrigerator separately from the fried plantains (so they don't turn soggy). Refrigerate leftovers immediately in sealed containers and eat within three to four days.
Yes, children can have this once you've reduced the amount of chilli or you've left it out completely. The soft beans are an excellent source of fibre and protein, and the ripe plantains offer sweetness. Adapt the texture and portion size for the age of your child, and make sure that the beans are cooked very well.
In case the tomatoes are too acidic, simmer the stew for some time till the tomatoes soften and help neutralize the acidity of the dish. To counter the acidity, you can also add some extra cooked beans and a pinch of sugar. We recommend adding seasonings slowly and in small quantities.
This content was created by AI