Stewed Peas…Red Red(stewed beans)

I’m not a fan of beans, but when it comes to red red I am head on!

Stewed beans is a traditional West African recipe, but I’m introducing the Ghanaian style with a twist. The reason I like this recipe is because of it’s character. The mix of onion, tomatoes and peppers in organic African palm oil orgasmic. I could not explain the mix of flavors. It was so good that it put me to sleep.

Growing up, I didn’t like beans. It was one of those meals I chose to sleep and forget. My mother made my siblings and I eat beans under the guise that it would make us tall. As mommy I believed everything she said. When people tell me that they love beans, my reaction is always “and so?” Like “why?” why would anyone eat or even have beans as their favorite food? Is the world that sad? Until I had red red.

While growing up, I never really understood why it took so long for beans to cook; until I started cooking it on my own. There were times I would cook honey beans and for more than an hour I would sit and watch the beans cook. Only for half to be soft and the other half not even close to well done. I asked my mother and she said it had something to do with seasoning the beans before cooking. She said, adding salt or any type of seasoning during the preparation of beans makes it harder to get soft. Superstitious?  I have no idea! But I’m going with no seasonings. At least my beans is always well done now 🙂

I cannot explain how it feels to prepare and eat this dish. Apart from the Nigerian beans pottage, this is the only way I really like beans. and with plantains, this recipe is every every everything!

Apart from the fact that I really like this recipe, I love the fact that it celebrates the similarities between Ghana and Nigeria. And with celebrating the success of this recipe, I added a little twist and it was spinach. I have been quite anemic and with my doctor telling me to eat more iron filled foods, I kind of add spinach to everything and this recipe was no exception. The only thing is that…adding the spinach actually worked! It worked! It worked! and here I am sharing this recipe with you. Hoping that you really like it and share it with your family.

 

3.0 from 1 reviews
Stewed Peas...Red Red
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups black eyed peas
  • 1½ tomatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 habaneros
  • 1 onion(divided)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1½ cups baby spinach(optional)
  • 2tbsps crayfish powder
  • 2 cans sardines
  • Palm oil/ vegetable or any healthy cooking oil (eye ball size)
  • Bouillon(optional)
  • Salt
Instructions
  1. Wash the peas and place into a pot. Bring to a boil; then place under running water and wash. Place into a pot and add half of the onion. Do not season. Cook until soft then set aside.
  2. Chop the tomatoes and set aside. Blend the remaining onion, garlic, habaneros and bell pepper.
  3. Heat up the oil, add the tomatoes and the blended pepper mix. Fry until the tomatoes and peppers have cooked and the oil has risen to the top. This will take about 20 minutes or less. Add salt and or bouillon, crayfish and sardines and fry for another 6 minutes. Fold in the spinach
  4. immediately add the peas so that the spinach does not over cook.
Notes
If you don't like or have sardines, you may use any type of fish. Just steam the fish with salt, pepper and onion and add into the beans.

 

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