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African bean stew served in a bowl with fried plantain.
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West African Bean Stew

You will love this one-pot West African bean stew! Made with tender black-eyed peas and a medley of aromatic spices, Ghanaian red red is a must-try!
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine African
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 364kcal
Author Kate Hahnel

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.
    Black eyed peas soaked in water.
  • 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.
    Boiled black eye peas.
  • 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.
    Tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet pepper inside a blender.
  • 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.
    Onions frying in a pan.
  • 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.
    Blended tomato, garlic, and ginger along with some seasonings, in a pan.
  • 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).
    Beans simmering in a pan during the preparation of the West-African bean stew red red.
  • 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

    • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg