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Red-red stew is a popular dish in Ghana, and it is normally made vegetarian. This slow-cooked black-eyed peas stew is the ultimate belly warmer to keep you toasty and full. The dish is enjoyed widely throughout Ghana.
Read on and follow our handy preparation guide to learn how to make your own red red recipe. This delicious traditional Ghanaian beans stew recipe is easy to make.
What is Red Red Made Of?
Red-red is a Ghanaian dish composed of black-eyed peas, cooked in palm oil/vegetable oil. The dish derives its name from the red color it takes on from the red palm oil (zomi) that they use to prepare the stew, and in most places, it will also be prepared with tomato paste. It is most common to find it with black-eyed beans, but any beans will do.
Where Does Red-Red Stew Come From?
Ghana! Red red is a traditional Ghanaian dish made with West African beans, palm oil and tomatoes. A hearty and wholesome stew perfect for all the family.
How Do You Serve Red Red?
Red-Red Stew Can be Served Over:
- Fried Plantain
- Rice
- If you want to serve this as part of a larger West African meal, try it alongside my version of Senegalese mafe, which is a shank (lamb, deer, elk, veal, etc.)
- You can also serve with chilled soft drink.
Can’t find or don’t like Black eyed peas? No worries, you could make these with black, red or any other types of beans. Don’t forget to adjust cooking times and flavors. Enjoy!!!
Red Red (Ghanaian Beans Stew)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 -4.5 ounce canned beans or 1 pound dried beans
- 1/2 – ¾ cup palm oil or Canola oil
- 1 medium Onions
- 1 Tablespoon ginger
- ½ tablespoon garlic
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1/3 cup crayfish optional
- 2 cups – 3 cups stock/ water
- 1-tablespoon bouillon powder vegetarian, chicken (optional)
- 2-3 green onions chopped
- Salt and pepper as needed
- 1 habanero pepper or sub with hot pepper or sauce (optional)
Instructions
Directions
- Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans and pick through and discard any foreign object. (I did not have to do this because I used the package beans,). Add beans to a large pot covering with 3-4 inches of cold water.
- Cover and let sit overnight or 6 to 8 hours.
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker. Follow instructions for cooking beans in your pressure cooker. It takes roughly between 8 to 12 minutes to cook. If not using a pressure cook, cook the beans for about 50- 60 mins or until tender.
- Drain the cooked beans and set aside
- If using canned beans you should start from here.
- Heat oil (palm and canola) in large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Sauté the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add tomatoes, tomatoes paste , ginger, garlic, paprika and bouillon powder/ cubes. Cook while stirring for about 60 seconds.
- Through in the Cray fish and let it simmer, for about 10-15 minutes, add water/ stock if needed to prevent burns. Continue to cook the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Finally add the beans, green onions and the remaining stock/water and bring to a boil and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- Adjust for seasonings, and beans consistency with water and serve.
