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Food

Red Red

Ever heard of Ghana's favourite Red-Red?

Red Red is a beloved Ghanaian dish featuring black-eyed peas cooked in red palm oil with tomatoes, creating a rich and flavourful stew. Often served with fried plantains, this hearty meal is a staple in Ghanaian cuisine. Learn about its ingredients, preparation methods, and cultural significance, and bring a taste of Ghana to your kitchen with this delicious recipe.

Ever heard of Ghana's favourite Red-Red?

Take sometime off to educate yourself on one of Ghana’s most popular dishes. It's most common in the southern parts of Ghana as "ycc k3 gari", "borbor" and also "red-red".

Beans is a staple food in Ghana which is high in protein, fiber and iron with the ripe plantain being a source of vitamin C, B6 and magnesium and also gari which mostly added, high in carbs. This makes this combo a perfect one.

Recently, the number of beans and plantain joints have increased due to high demand of this nutritious meal. The “gist” on why beans and plantain is a go-to meal is because it is very affordable and leaves you feeling full for more hours! It is sold on the streets, made in homes and in boarding schools. People, young and aged queue just to have a taste of this and has gained momentum among tertiary students due to its nutritious content and how tasty and filling it is, not excluding workers from all sectors. With this said, it’s worth knowing how this tasty meal is prepared.

Let's get right into its preparation.

  • Firstly, you soak carefully selected black eyed peas(beans) overnight so it doesn’t take so long to cook. 
  • You wash them and put to boil till it’s tender. 
  • You then slice your ripe plantain into desirable sizes and fry till it’s golden brown. 
  • The final step which is crucial is to heat some palm oil with onion and ginger to give off a harmonious symphony of aroma and flavour. 
You wondering if there’re some more steps? That's it!

The versatility of the beans and plantain dish allows for it to be served with eggs, avocado, cassava flakes(gari) and black pepper (shoot).

The ingredients for making this dish is very accessible as the Ghanaian community has countless supermarkets. Make sure to get ones in good condition and quality stuff to avoid making a mess in how attractive and appetizing your food will be.

It is advisable to eat beans and plantain during daytime for better digestion. You should try the recipe above or walk a few meters to "Daavi's" kiosk to get some beans and plantain anytime you find yourself in the Southern part of Ghana. This dish is definitely a must try!
Derrick Nimako

Derrick Nimako, media specialist and storyteller, shares captivating stories and articles on GhanaTRVL.

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