Growing up in Koforidua, Ghana, red red bean stew was part of a weekly meal. When we got home from school, my grandmother or aunt would offer a couple of options to tied us over before dinner. Most times, my pick was red red bean stew with gari (dried cassava granules) and plantains, made with pre-cooked black-eyed peas and tomato puree. My version includes red bell pepper for a bit of sweetness. In addition to fried plantains and gari, the stew can be served with steamed white rice, yams, sweet potatoes or cassava.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup red palm oil (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Kosher salt, optional
- Fried plantains or steamed white rice, for serving
Instructions
- Add the black-eyed peas, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer, adding 1 cup of water as needed as the water evaporates, until the beans are firm to the bite (not mushy), 40 to 45 minutes. Drain the water from the beans.
- Crush the garlic, tomatoes, red bell pepper and onion in a blender or food processor, about 30 seconds.
- Heat the palm oil in a medium pot over medium heat until the oil starts to smoke and tiny bubbles start to form in the oil. Add the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season the mixture with the bouillon powder, curry powder and cayenne if using and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the stew thickens and the beans are tender to the touch, about 25 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
- Serve the stew with a side of fried plantains or steamed white rice.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 293 |
| Total Fat | 14 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 7 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 592 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 34 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 12 grams |
| Sugar | 9 grams |
| Protein | 10 grams |
Reviews
I made this recipe with my elementary and middle school cooking students and they absolutely loved it. It is definitely in my plans to make with future classes.
Do you soak the peas first?
Amazingly happy to see my childhood friend Making Ghana proud. God bless you. Nice, next time don’t forget momoni and kpakpo shito . Those are the main most important ingredients.
Wow, so glad to see a childhood favorite displayed and listed out so easily. This recipe (and the meal in the picture) looks great, I cannot wait to try it out myself. definitely will be doing a side of fried plantains.