Red-Red
AuthorSydney PennerRed-red is a popular dish in Ghana, and is a fantastic way to prepare cowpeas if you like spicy food. You can find lots of variant recipes online, but the following is how I usually make it. It's not as spicy as some versions (though still quite spicy, so you may want to cut back on the habanero if you're cautious) and it features crowder peas rather than black-eyed peas.
The sweetness of the plantains pairs beautifully with the heat of the red-red, so in our house we think the plantains pretty much essential for this dish.
USING DRIED CROWDER PEAS: I think this dish is at its best if you use fresh or frozen crowder peas harvested at the shell stage just before they dry, but it is also good with dried peas. If you use dried crowder peas, start with about one and a half cups of them and cook them however long you need to for them to be tender.
Cook crowder peas in water until tender, circa 30-40 minutes. When done, drain but reserve cooking water.
Meanwhile, warm palm oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add next five ingredients and cook for a few more minutes.
Add tomato paste; scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add crowder peas and as much of reserved cooking water as needed to reach desired consistency. (Optional: purée sauce with a blender before adding peas.)
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Also check for spiciness. Red-red is meant to be hot, so if it’s not hot enough, add cayenne or a hot sauce until desired level of heat is reached.
Serve with plantain rounds.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook crowder peas in water until tender, circa 30-40 minutes. When done, drain but reserve cooking water.
Meanwhile, warm palm oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add next five ingredients and cook for a few more minutes.
Add tomato paste; scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add crowder peas and as much of reserved cooking water as needed to reach desired consistency. (Optional: purée sauce with a blender before adding peas.)
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Also check for spiciness. Red-red is meant to be hot, so if it’s not hot enough, add cayenne or a hot sauce until desired level of heat is reached.
Serve with plantain rounds.
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