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Ghanaian · West African

Red red

Vegetarian

Black-eyed peas simmered in a red palm oil and tomato sauce, served with sweet fried ripe plantain — the two 'reds' of the name. A beloved Ghanaian lunch.

Red red is a Ghanaian stew, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with black-eyed peas (dried), red palm oil and plantain. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
723

Plus overnight soaking of the peas.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the stew

For the plantain

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the soaked peas in the water until tender but holding their shape. Drain, keeping a cup of the cooking liquid.

  2. Step 2

    Warm the palm oil (opens in a new tab) gently, then soften the onions (opens in a new tab) in it. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and scotch bonnet and cook 2 minutes.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat

    Don't let palm oil smoke — it turns bitter.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook until thick and the oil separates.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the peas, salt and a splash of the cooking liquid. Simmer until creamy and some peas begin to break down.

    • 10 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the plantain (opens in a new tab) slices in batches until deep golden and caramelised on both sides. Drain on paper.

    Food safety: Lower the slices in carefully; hot oil spits.

  6. Step 6

    Serve the stew with the plantain (opens in a new tab) alongside.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Ghana · Commonly attributedMore food from Ghana
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Shallow-fried
Taste
savoury, sweet, spicy (chilli heat), earthy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Black-eyed peas (dried) · Red palm oil · Plantain · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Shallow-frying · Simmering · Bhunao

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

723 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 432 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 52%
  • Fat 37%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy723 kcal167 kcal
Protein21.1 g4.9 g
Carbohydrate98.4 g22.8 g
Net carbohydrate85.9 g19.9 g
Sugars34.1 g7.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre12.5 g2.9 g
Fat31.1 g7.2 g
Saturated fat10.1 g2.3 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium756 mg175 mg
Salt equivalent1.9 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1841 mg
Calcium
118 mg
Iron
7.5 mg
Magnesium
206 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
119 µg
Vitamin C
46 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
529 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use plantains with almost-black skins for the sweetest contrast with the savoury stew.

Common mistakes

  • Overboiling the peas — they should be tender but hold their shape before going into the sauce.

Serve with

  • Sprinkle with gari (toasted cassava granules) for crunch.

Storage

  • Refrigerate the stew up to 4 days; fry plantain fresh.

Reheating

  • Reheat the stew with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

For the stew

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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