Red-Red is a staple Ghanaian dish that is mainly eaten across southern Ghana. In it's simplest form it consists of black-eyed beans cooked in palm oil with fried plantain. The palm oil gives the dish its iconic red colour, hence the name Red-red. The dish is very starchy and hearty, it's sure to fill you up.

History of Ghana and Red Red

Ghana is an African nation, located on west-african coatline. The main ingredient of Red-red is the black-eyed beans. As the beans are native to Ghana and many African countries. Black-eyed beans are a staple in the daily diet of many Africains. The beans are known to have a high nutritive value and can grow in harsh/dry conditions. In addition, the beans are high in protein and are resistant to drought. These qualties make the beans perfect for Ghanaian cuisine.

Why it's My favourite Dish?

It was a staple of my childhood growing up. I really enjoyed helping my mother cook the dish. It is always a joy to eat, the mix of fresh flavours and African heat just feel like a warm hug.

Recipe

Ingredients

Black-eyed beans

2-3 tablespoons of Palm oil

2 Red bell peppers

Garlic

Ginger

1 White onion

4 Tomatoes

1 can of blended plum tomatoes

Curry powder (to taste)

1-2 Scotch bonnet or Cayenne pepper (to taste)

1-2 ripened Plantain

Optional

Gari - to garnish (adds an extra crunch)

Avocado - As an extra side-dish

Salt and garlic pepper - to season fried plantain

Instructions

1. Soak black-eyed beans for 8 hours. Or leave the beans to soak overnight if you can.
2. Once they are soaked drain the water and wash the beans once again.
3. Put the beans in a pot of water and let it boil. Add a few pinches salt to the water. Cook until beans are soft.
4. In a different large pot heat two tablespoons of palm oil. Into the same add the chopped onion and cook until soft
5. Into the same pot add minced garlic, chopped bell pepper, ginger and cook for a few minutes
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them cook until they become soft and the juices flow out.
7. Add the blended plum tomatoes and scotch bonnet (or cayenne pepper if you prefer, curry powder, black-eyed beans and black pepper.
8. Mix all the ingredients well and cook for around 10 minutes
9. Slice the plantain in a diagonal pattern and put them into a bowl. Optionally, season the plantain with garlic-pepper
10. Heat oil in a frying pan to a high heat
11. Add the plantain and fry on both sides until golden brown
12. Garnish with a sprinkle of gari on top and some sliced avocado on the side (This is my personal favourite way to eat it)

Explore our other web pages to learn more about different cultural foods!