START TO FINISH: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Heady with ginger and chilies, Ghana’s “red-red” stew gets its namesake color from a combination of red palm oil and tomatoes. We found the more widely available refined coconut oil was a good substitute for red palm oil. For the legumes, we preferred Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value canned black-eyed peas for their soft, creamy texture. Goya brand, sold in slightly larger cans, also yielded good results, but the texture was a bit firmer. Red-red typically is paired with thick slabs of fried plantain; we opted for the simplicity and crunch of store-bought plantain chips. If you like, garnish the stew with cilantro leaves and, for added spice, offer hot sauce on the side.
Don’t use unrefined coconut oil, which will give the dish a distinct coconut flavor.
¼ cup refined coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 jalapeño chilies, stemmed, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
3-ounce piece fresh ginger, cut into 4 to 6 chunks
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Four 15½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Lime wedges, to serve
Plantain chips, to serve
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the coconut oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the jalapeños, ginger, tomato paste, curry powder and chipotle powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the black-eyed peas and stir well. Stir in 1½ cups water, the soy sauce and tomatoes, then bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle but steady simmer, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the ginger chunks, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and plantain chips.