Red red: Ghanaian black-eyed bean stew with fried plantain

Named for its colour, red red is a Ghanaian favourite: black-eyed beans in a rich tomato and ginger sauce, served with sweet, caramelised fried plantain.

Ingredients

• 100 ml Vegetable oil, 60ml for the stew, 40ml for the plantain
• 2 Onions, finely chopped
• 0.2 Garlic, 3 cloves, crushed
• 15 g Fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Fresh chillies, left whole
• 30 g Tomato purée
• 5 g Smoked paprika
• 400 g Chopped tomatoes
• 800 g Black-eyed beans, 2 tins, drained
• 1 Vegetable stock cubes, made up to 250ml
• 4 g Salt
• 3 Plantains, very ripe (black-spotted), peeled and sliced on the diagonal

Method

1. Heat 60ml oil in a large pan and fry the onions until soft and golden.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, tomato purée and paprika for 2 minutes until the oil turns red. Add the tomatoes and the whole chilli and simmer until thick.
3. Add the beans and stock and simmer, stirring now and then, until rich and thick. Remove the chilli and season.
4. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the plantain slices over a medium heat until deep golden and caramelised on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper with a pinch of salt.
5. Serve the beans in bowls with the plantain piled alongside.