You will love this West African bean stew, red red! Made with tender black-eyed peas and a medley of aromatic spices, this stew is a tasty and comforting one-pot meal that will have you asking for more.
What's better? Just like our South African Banana Bread, Rougaille Saucisse, and Peri Peri Mayonnaise, this bean stew comes together pretty easily.
reasons you will love this recipe
- once you have boiled the beans, this is a quick and easy one-pot recipe.
- filling and delicious.
- great for meal prep plus, you can easily double or triple the portion to feed a crowd.
what is red red
Red Red is a beloved African bean stew hailing from Ghana. Known for its vibrant red color and rich, savory taste, it is a staple in many Ghanaian households. It usually is readily available in most local restaurants, and street food stalls.
It is strikingly similar to the Nigerian bean stew called "ewa riro", sharing a common base of black-eyed peas or beans. In fact, many West African bean stews follow a similar cooking style, featuring ingredients like palm oil, tomatoes, spices, a variety of beans, and sometimes a protein, such as dried fish or smoked turkey.
I asked my Ghanaian friend about the name red red; and what she said was that the name stems from the dish's vivid red color, achieved through red palm oil and ripe tomatoes, with the repetition of the word red emphasizing its striking, memorable appearance.
ingredients you will need
This is a summary of the ingredients you will need to make some West African bean stew red red, as well as possible substitutions, if any. The full ingredient measurements have been provided in the recipe card below.
- black eyed peas - you will need some dried black-eyed peas (substitutable with canned black-eyed peas). You can also use other types of hard beans, such as kidney beans.
- palm oil - which is what gives the bean stew its vibrant red color. Feel free to use a mixture of regular cooking oil and palm oil, if you do not like the taste or smell of palm oil.
- vegetables - garlic and ginger, white, red or yellow onion, scotch bonnet pepper, and blended or canned tomatoes.
- seasonings - salt, all-purpose seasoning, chilli powder and some shrimp seasoning cube. You can use vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes to substitute the shrimp seasoning, as well as use more or less of the chilli powder, to suit your taste.
- fish - I used canned mackerel for this recipe but you can also use smoked or salted fish, or even leave the fish out altogether.
how to make african bean stew
This segment summarises how to make the African bean stew (red red), with step-by-step photos. You will find the detailed instructions provided in the recipe card below.
- Remove unwanted debris such as stones, clean, and soak the beans for 5-6 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse.
- Using a large pot, cook the soaked beans in water for 40-60 minutes or until tender. Keep adding water to the pot if necessary, to prevent burning. Drain and set aside.
- Blend tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet peppers into a smooth puree.
- Heat palm oil in a pot or pan then sauté the sliced onion until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the blended tomato-pepper puree and seasonings. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Fold in the boiled beans and canned mackerel (optional). Simmer further over medium heat until done. Once cooked, taste, adjust the seasoning, then serve while still hot or warm.
Related recipes: For other delicious African dishes, certainly try out our Kenyan ndengu (mung bean curry), Githeri recipe, and vegan egusi soup.
serving suggestions
- For an authentic West African experience, serve your African Bean Stew with some fluffy white rice, fried plantains, boiled yams, or top it with some gari.
- Also, don't just stop there, feel free to get creative and serve this stew with bread, or your favourite side dishes.
useful tips
- Save energy by boiling your beans using an Instant pot or electric pressure cooker. Here's how to boil beans in the Instant Pot, in case you are interested.
- Use a combination of blended tomatoes and tomato paste, for a more intense flavour and an enhanced red hue.
- To achieve a thicker stew, mash the beans directly in the pot using a wooden spoon. Alternatively, blend 1.5 cups of boiled beans and add this back to the pot to simmer with the other ingredients.
variations and substitutions
- When I first tasted this stew, one of my initial thoughts was how great it would be, to have it vegan, without any meat or fish! It tastes amazing this way so feel free to leave out the fish and shrimp seasoning, to make this recipe vegetarian and vegan.
- I used canned mackerel but you can also use other types of fish such as koobi (dried salted tilapia), the fermented fish momoni (also known as looshala or lafifi), for a true Ghanaian taste!
refregeration and freezing
- refregeration - allow the African bean stew to cool, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate for 3-4 days. When ready to consume, reheat the stew on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot before serving.
- freezing - for longer storage, allow the bean stew to cool, transfer it to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags to prevent freezer burn. Leave some space at the top of the container or bag to allow for expansion as the stew freezes, label the container or bag with the best-by date, and freeze for 2-3 months.
more delicious African recipes
- Make some South African yellow rice for a quick, tasty and easy side dish.
- This mshikaki recipe (grilled beef steak kabobs) will have your visitors asking for more. Pair it up with some kachumbari salad for a balanced meal.
- Our Parsley and Lemon Moroccan Carrot Salad is a wonderful accompaniment to any dish.
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📖 Recipe
West African Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 500 g dried black-eyed peas - approximately 1 pound, or 4 14.5 ounce canned beans you can also use other types of dried beans, such as kidney beans
- ¾ cup palm oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely minced or crushed
- 4-6 cloves garlic finely minced or crushed
- 6-8 blended tomatoes (or one 14.5 ounce canned tomatoes)
- 1 cube shrimp seasoning (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1-3 scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning cube
- ½ can mackerel in oil, drained approximately 200g or 7.25 ounces (optional)
Instructions
- If using dried black-eyed peas, check and remove stones and unwanted debris, rinse them thoroughly, and soak them in water for 5-6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse again before cooking. If using canned beans, simply drain and rinse, without boiling.
- In a large pot, add the soaked and drained uncooked black-eyed peas (skip this step if using canned beans). Cover with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 40-60 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Keep adding water to the pot if necessary, to prevent burning. Drain the cooked beans, then set aside.
- Using a blender, process the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet peppers (adjust the number of peppers based on your spice tolerance) until you have a smooth puree.
- In a large, pot or pan, heat the palm oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the blended tomato mixture, shrimp seasoning cube, chili powder, all-purpose seasoning cube, and salt to the pot or pan. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, darkens, and the oil begins to separate from the sauce.
- Gently add the cooked beans and fish (optional). Allow the stew to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to combine (see notes).
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed, to your preference. Serve this African bean stew with rice, fried plantain, gari, boiled yams, or as preferred.
Notes
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- Save energy by boiling your beans using an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
-
- Use a combination of blended tomatoes and tomato paste, for a more intense flavour and an enhanced red hue.
-
- To achieve a thicker stew, mash the beans directly in the pot using a wooden spoon. Alternatively, blend 1.5 cups of boiled beans and add this back to the pot to simmer with the other ingredients.
- Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated based on tools that this website uses. It may vary, depending on the products used. It is your responsibility to verify ingredient labels to ensure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information.
Candice
The aroma from thew lit up the house while I was making it. We were all drooling waiting for it to be ready hehe and it didn't disappoint. Such a comforting meal.
Jeneil
I recently prepared this African bean stew for our gathering, and it was an absolute crowd-pleaser! The carefully selected ingredients and harmonious blend of spices created a flavor explosion that left everyone craving seconds. I would recommend giving this recipe a try!
Glenda
Wow, it's really a quick and easy one-pot recipe. And it gave us a hearty and comforting stew. Next time I will try to use kidney beans and see how it will turn out. Thanks!
Amy
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband loved it. I appreciated how detailed the recipe was. I'm not familiar with cooking fresh beans and the step-by-step photos were great. Wonderful recipe!
Abi
The first time I made this stew I wasn't so sure about the mackerel but it really does add a delicious flavor. Love making this on the weekend and enjoying leftovers for lunch during the week!
Paula
Looks delicious, yum yum i will try it😋