What Is Red Red? The Ghanaian Bean Stew Explained
Red red is a Ghanaian black-eyed bean stew in palm oil, served with fried plantain. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Red red is a much loved Ghanaian dish of black-eyed beans stewed in a rich, red tomato and palm oil sauce, served with fried ripe plantain and often a sprinkle of gari on top. The name red red comes from its colour, the deep red of the palm oil and tomato stew and the golden red of the fried plantain, and the dish is a hearty, comforting, everyday favourite across Ghana. Wholesome and filling, red red is a beloved way to enjoy beans, naturally plant based unless fish or meat is added. In the UK the ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops.
What to remember
- Red red is a Ghanaian stew of black-eyed beans in a rich tomato and palm oil sauce.
- It is served with fried ripe plantain and often a sprinkle of gari.
- The name comes from its colour, the red palm oil stew and the golden fried plantain.
- It is a hearty, comforting, everyday dish, naturally plant based unless fish or meat is added.
- The ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops in the UK.
For Ghanaians in Britain, red red is a comforting, nostalgic taste of home. It is the bowl of beans in red palm oil stew, the sweet fried plantain alongside, the sprinkle of gari on top, the hearty lunch from the canteen and the family kitchen, the taste that says home. Making red red far from home brings back school days and roadside stalls and family tables, the warmth of Ghana in every hearty, colourful spoonful.
There is real heart in it too, in a dish so tied to everyday Ghanaian life, wholesome, affordable and loved by everyone. It reflects a whole culture of nourishing, comforting, colourful food, and to cook a pot of red red is to keep that alive. Making it for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first plate of red red with fried plantain, is a small act of welcome. That hearty, comforting taste of home is the gift of red red.
What Red Red Actually Is
Red red is one of Ghana's best loved everyday dishes, a satisfying stew of black-eyed beans cooked in a rich, deep red sauce of tomatoes, onions, pepper and palm oil, and served with sweet fried plantain alongside. The dish gets its cheerful name from all the red in it, the red of the palm oil and tomato stew and the reddish gold of the fried ripe plantain, and it is a staple of home kitchens, roadside stalls and canteens across the country. It is filling, wholesome and full of flavour.
The beans are simmered until soft and then stewed with the tomato and palm oil base, seasoned with onion, chilli, ginger and sometimes a little dried fish or other flavourings, into a thick, savoury pot. It is classically eaten with fried plantain, whose sweetness plays beautifully against the savoury beans, and often finished with a sprinkle of gari, the toasted cassava grains, for texture. Red red belongs to the world of Ghanaian cooking we cover in our guide to Ghanaian food, and it sits alongside other Ghanaian staples like waakye and is served with plantain.
How Red Red Is Made and Eaten
Making red red starts with the beans, black-eyed beans, sometimes called cowpeas, which are boiled until tender. Meanwhile a rich stew base is made by frying onions, tomatoes, pepper and often ginger and garlic in palm oil, which gives the dish its signature red colour and distinctive flavour, and this is seasoned and sometimes enriched with a little dried fish, smoked fish or other flavourings. The cooked beans are then stirred into the sauce and simmered together until thick, savoury and well combined.
To serve, ripe plantain is peeled, sliced and fried until soft and golden, and the red red is spooned out with the fried plantain alongside, often with a sprinkle of gari over the top for a bit of crunch. The contrast of the savoury, slightly spicy beans with the sweet plantain is the heart of the dish. Red red is naturally plant based when made without fish or meat, and a version with dried or smoked fish is common, so those with a fish allergy should check. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Hearty, colourful and comforting, red red is Ghanaian home cooking at its best.
Red Red in Ghanaian Food Culture
Red red holds a warm, everyday place in Ghanaian food culture, a dish that is affordable, filling and loved by all, from school children to office workers. It is sold from stalls and canteens as a hearty lunch, made at home as a comforting family meal, and it is a favourite way to enjoy beans, which are a valued, nourishing part of the Ghanaian diet. Its bright colour, its wholesome beans and its sweet plantain make it a cheerful, satisfying plate that says home cooking.
Every cook has their own red red, more or less spicy, with or without fish, but the black-eyed beans in a red palm oil and tomato stew, with fried plantain, are always at its heart. For Ghanaians, red red is a nostalgic, comforting taste of home, and for anyone exploring West African food it is a delicious, wholesome dish to try, and a naturally plant based one at that. This article is general food and cultural information. Hearty and colourful, red red is a treasured Ghanaian classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making red red at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. African and Caribbean food shops sell the black-eyed beans, palm oil, plantain and gari that the dish needs, along with the tomatoes, onions, chilli and ginger for the stew, and any dried or smoked fish if you want to add it. Good palm oil and ripe plantain are the keys to an authentic red red, and both are easy to find. The beans can be bought dried or ready cooked in tins.
If you want to make red red, an African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the palm oil, black-eyed beans and gari you need, and the plantain to fry alongside. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Hearty, red and comforting, red red brings a wholesome taste of Ghana to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is red red?
Red red is a much loved Ghanaian dish of black-eyed beans stewed in a rich, red tomato and palm oil sauce, served with fried ripe plantain and often a sprinkle of gari. The name comes from its colour, the deep red of the stew and the golden red of the fried plantain. It is a hearty, comforting everyday dish, naturally plant based unless fish or meat is added.
Why is red red called red red?
Red red is named for all the red in the dish. The stew is a deep red from the palm oil and tomatoes it is cooked in, and the fried ripe plantain served alongside is a reddish gold, so the plate is full of warm red colour. The doubled name, red red, is an affectionate, memorable way Ghanaians describe this cheerful, colourful bean stew.
What is red red served with?
Red red is classically served with fried ripe plantain, whose sweetness balances the savoury, slightly spicy beans, and it is very often finished with a sprinkle of gari, the toasted cassava grains, for texture. It can be eaten on its own as a hearty meal, and some people enjoy it with bread or rice too, but beans, plantain and gari are the classic combination.
Is red red vegan?
Red red can be vegan, as at its heart it is black-eyed beans in a tomato and palm oil stew with fried plantain, all plant based. However, some cooks add dried or smoked fish to the stew for extra flavour, which would make that version not vegan, and means those with a fish allergy should check. Made without fish or meat, red red is a naturally plant based, wholesome dish.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Black-eyed beans, palm oil, plantain and gari, along with tomatoes, onions, chilli and any dried fish, are sold by African and Caribbean food shops, and the beans come dried or tinned. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the palm oil, black-eyed beans, gari and plantain that red red needs.