Red Red Recipe- A hearty tasty and no fuss vegetarian black-eyed peas stewed beans- African Style
Here, in the United States, black- eyed peas are best known, especially in the south, as a good luck and prosperity meal. In Africa, it is an everyday, year round meal, used in all forms- ground, dried, fresh and a good source of protein. And may I add it is very affordable .
If you are unfamiliar with black-eyed beans, they are delicious little white beans with a mild taste and smooth texture- what I like most, is their meaty flavor and texture-they really do have a bite to it, compared to other beans.
Lately, there has been more interest in them and so many home cooks and chefs are making use of these beans transforming them into exquisite meals.
Here is a variation on this rustic yet flavorful use of these beans- known as Red Red. Red Red is a simple tomato stew that is enjoyed widely through out Ghana.
Don’t quote me on this, rumor has that, it’s name is derived from combining red palm oil and tomato sauce. You see, these beans always make everything better for me- especially after a rough week. I make them eat for breakfast with puff puff(one of my all time comfort breakfast) and serve it with fried plantains for lunch. When am on a health kick, I grill or roast plantains.
I so wasn’t on one this weekend, ANYTHING greasy I just had to have.
While I absolutely love smoked meat or fish in my beans; Yes, truly do- most often is more about the flavor these proteins add to the meal rather than the meat itself. I thought it would to a good idea to make this without any smoked meats, which is customary.
However, if you have crayfish (dried shrimp) do include them to make up for the loss of the smoky flavor. A trick I do all the time is to use smoked paprika to add that smoky flavor to my food, when I can’t get a hold of smoked meat.
Believe me, sometimes getting a hold of smoked meats is like searching for a needle in a haystack or paying with an arm and a leg. Ah! I am not willing to shed out that amount of money all the time ! Just for special occasion .
Can’t find or don’t like Black eyed peas? No worries, you could make these with black, red or any other types of beans. Don’t forget to adjust cooking times and flavors. Enjoy!!!
- 4 -14.5 ounce canned beans or 1 pound dried beans
- 1/2 – ¾ cup palm oil or Canola oil
- 1 medium Onions
- 1 Tablespoon ginger
- ½ tablespoon garlic
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- • 1/3 cup crayfish optional
- • 2 cups – 3 cups stock/ water
- • 1-tablespoon bouillon powder vegetarian, chicken (optional)
- 2-3 green onions chopped
- Salt and pepper as needed
- 1 habanero pepper or sub with hot pepper or sauce optional
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Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans and pick through and discard any foreign object. (I did not have to do this because I used the package beans,). Add beans to a large pot covering with 3-4 inches of cold water.
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Cover and let sit overnight or 6 to 8 hours
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Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker. Follow instructions for cooking beans in your pressure cooker. It takes roughly between 8 to 12 minutes to cook. If not using a pressure cook, cook the beans for about 50- 60 mins or until tender
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Drain the cooked beans and set aside
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If using canned beans you should start from here.
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Heat oil (palm and canola) in large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Sauté the onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
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Add tomatoes, tomatoes paste , ginger, garlic, paprika and bouillon powder/ cubes. Cook while stirring for about 60 seconds,
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Through in the Cray fish and let it simmer, for about 10-15 minutes, add water/ stock if needed to prevent burns. Continue to cook the sauce, stirring occasionally
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Finally add the beans, green onions and the remaining stock/water and bring to a boil and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
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Adjust for seasonings, and beans consistency with water and serve.
I made this in a slow cooker…it was delicious that way too and even easier! ❤❤
I’m Ghanaian, and was happy to find this Ghanaian recipe here. As a child I loved eating this with golden fried plantain and a little avocado chopped up on the side. Thank you for bringing back fond childhood memories. Great job!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share Akosua! Happy to be of help.
I’m getting ready to have a buffet for my son’s birthday party and will be serving African food. I’m so excited to find your website. The blackeyed peas will defiantly be on the menu!
Happy birthday to your son, Vicki! Can’t wait for you to try some other recipes on this site. Happy cooking!
Can olive oil be used instead? I don’t know where to find palm oil and I don’t use the other
Yes, you can but it wouldn’t have that authentic taste. Still tastes good though. Palm oil can be purchased in any African Market.
Our new favorite!
YESS!!
I made this today for lunch – it’s delicious and easy to make. Thank you for posting it!
Awesome! Thanks for feedback!
When do I add the tomato paste…making it tom.
After adding the tomatoes.
This looks so amazing! If you opt to use the crayfish, could you use seafood stock/bouillon instead of veg or chicken? Or do you think it would be too much?
Thanks! It would be just fine . Go for it . Happy Holidays!!!!
Loved this recipe! It was the first time I have ever made black eyed peas. It was delicious, even my picky 2 year old gobbled down 2 bowls! I did not use any meat. Thank you for posting!!!
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well you. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
Soooo simple and yet so much flavour in this dish. Made it twice already and planning my third time already! Thank you for sharing!
YES! So glad to hear this Chantelle ! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
I stumbled upon this website and just tried the Red Red recipe tonight—it was fantastic!! I’m vegetarian, so your recipes open up a whole new culture of meals for me. I skipped the dried shrimps and used smoked paprika, used only a few tablespoons of oil (I had olive oil so used that) and chopped up a zucchini that needed to be used and threw that in with the onions. Delicious!!! I’ll be making this frequently—thank you!
YESS! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
I am on a weight loss diet. How would the stew taste change if I used less palm oil?
It does change but not a whole lot- it’s still quite flavorful. Just like you when am on a diet I cut out oil significantly , I start with 3-4 tablespoons . Add more if necessary just enough to get the onions and garlic going.
I prepared this dish and it was delicious. I’m still smacking my lips. It was difficult to find palm oil in my community so I used vegetable oil. I had my son get it for me in Baltimore and made it again and it makes a big difference in the flavor. Thank you soooooo much for providing a taste of the Motherland.
Awesome! Yes, Palm oil gives it that distinct flavor that can’t be beat. So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Hi,
Stumbled here searching for something.
But this is very interesting & informative about African food.
This red red is very similar to Indian Lobia curry.
Black eyed peas are called Lobia in India.
I liked Puf-Puf recipe also.
Thanks for introducing me to new food ides.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Niiima – I just learned something new today.
ayo, this is what im talking about, a wonderful african dish i can share with my parents. im assuming the crayfish is dried? eager to serve this with fried sweet (or did u eat it with green) plantains. this is absolutely wonderful. nothing beats that african mix of onion tomato and palm oil
You’ve got that right . It always takes me back home ! Yes the crayfish is dried and Yes to fried sweet plantains. Green plantains works as well.
Hi
I am Ghanaian, and we eat red-red all the time. I grew up watching my mother cook this , and its delicious with kele wele or regular fried plantain. Thank you for sharing our wonderful home dish.
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Today I’m preparing this Red, Red stew for the second time!
This has got to be the best way to serve a very plain legume in the most aromatic way! Definately becoming one of our favorite comfort foods!
Awesome!! So glad to hear this. Thanks for letting me know.
Want to be sure of two ingredients before making this dish. Is the ginger fresh or powdered? When do you use the habanero pepper?
It’s fresh ginger . The habanero pepper is added with the onions , garlic and tomatoes or towards last 5 -10 minutes of cooking- If you prefer less heat.
Red red is a fav of mine. Especially with soft plaintain. Now I have to make some today.:-)
I like that and luv Black Eye Peas. There isn’t a single thing on that list that I don’t already have on hand in my kitchen. So I’ll be making it this week. But I might not be able to resist that throwing some fairly large shrimps in before the beans finish cooking.
Your awesome cooking and elegant dishes are a constant variable in my impromptu weekly menu. That’s a good thing as you keep me inspired. You’ll know how it turned out I’m sure.
Made the Stewed Back-Eyed Peas and do like it. It was actually much easier than I thought making it with the hard beans, soaking then cooking it etc. I had some Palm oil around a while and was first time ended up using it. I can definitely taste the flavor in the Stew. Used Smoky Paprika also. I’ll definitely make it again using it as a dish by itself, side or take for office lunch. One can definitely keep it vegan if need. But I may add some smoky meat and some Thyme to kick up the flavor to it a bit more. Big thumbs up on this one.
AWESOME! Thanks for the feedback urban. Happy New Year
Ms. A! I’m a previous student of yours from Crenshaw High. I subscribed to your recipes last year and they have been amazing compared to my college cafe. Thank you for such deliciousness!
Hi Briana! Trying to recall which year or class- am old – LoL. So happy to have you here and thank you so much for trying out my recipes .
Can’t wait to make this and share with my co worker who loves black eyed beans like I do!…
Awesome ! I think she is going to love it.
My hubby smokes turkeys so I’m going to add smoked turkey for extra ZING…My co worker is from Jamaica and I’m Canadian …..she and I discuss recipes to encourage adding ZING to anything…our mutual ground is black eyed peas.(chicken is close by)…I even eat them alone with a simple EVOO and vinegar dressing/red onions for a quick diet…lol…Love your site and you for sharing such wonderful recipes and ideas…you are a great presenter of exciting recipes. .thank you!
Aww thank you! You are just too kind . Am SOOO Jealous Karen! I love smoked turkey but only get the super-market varieties. I bet it tastes 10x better!
It will definitely take this stewed peas over the top. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Hi, Mrs. Imma,
I just discovered your blog today and am really enjoying looking at the recipes. I was born in the south and my mother made a lot of similar recipes. She made black eyed peas and added ham hocks sometimes. When I grew up and married, my husband said he did not like any meat in his beans or greens. So I have been preparing the meat separately from beans, collard greens, mustard greens, etc. Now he is almost 97 years old and has to have his food pureed. Do you have any suggestions on how I can adapt these recipes so he can enjoy them? He has dementia and his caregiver is not familiar with the foods he used to eat.
I am looking forward to trying these recipes for my daughter and her new husband and four boys…!
Linda
Hi Linda, Glad you are here. Will you be cooking the same recipes for your daughter and grand kids? Most of the recipes here can be easily prepared without meat. Just like this one here. Which ones do you want to try out? Do let me know so I can customize it for your family. Thanks for for reaching out! Happy Cooking!!!
Hi Imma!
I will probably be making it without meat. One of my grandsons is autistic and is very picky about what he eats.
I am trying to get him to at least try different foods. I am looking forward to serving pinto beans, black eyed peas, collard greens, etc. I will be making salmon croquettes the way my husband Elijah likes them…with corn meal and egg mixed with canned salmon and fried in oil. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!
Thanks for responding. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Linda
Imma,
Sorry, I forgot to say which one I am going to try. I have pinto beans so I want to see if Red Red beans will work using those instead of black eyed peas.
Linda
Woah! am getting hungry too! Would definitely want try out those salmon croquettes. Sound Delicious!!! !Yes. Red, black, pinto beans would work just fine. Tried and tested several times. Keep me posted on the out. Thanks Linda.
Hi. I tried your recipe with smoked turkey wings and it was delicious! Thank you! I’d like to try it now with the dried crayfish so I located an African store here in Atlanta and got some. How much should I use? Your recipe says one third crayfish, do you mean one third cup?
Silly me. Yes, it’s 1/3 cup.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I’m in Sydney Australia and was excited to see canned black eyed beans on my supermarket shelf for the first time. I grabbed some in the hope of finding a recipe to go along with it. I made your Red Red tonight, even though I was a little concerned that my 13 year old stepson who had just played football, was still going to be hungry afterwards. He really liked it and was full very quickly. This probably sounds strange to you but I accompanied it with socca and it was all eaten heartily. A hit with the whole family!!! Thank you again.
Glad it worked out for you. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
5 ⭐⭐ dish.
I stumbled upon your wonderful site just a few days ago and since then I find myself coming back to it again and again, studying your recipes one after the other for feasability.
Yesterday I started following you by preparing your ‘african hot sauce’ – it turned out simply superb.
And today I cooked your ‘red-red’ stew. What an explosion of flavours on the palate! So easy to prepare and so delicious. It will be eaten very often from now on, as we absolutely love it.
Next, I will do your mango pineapple chutney.
Immaculate, you are a god-sent!
Immaculate, you are a god-sent!
Awww, this means a lot to me , Ingrid. Thank you so much. Glad you took the time to subscribe. Please let me know which ones you try. Thanks again
Dear ‘god-sent’,
we have reached a point, where life without your red-red would not be worth living! I keep cooking it again and again… it is just too darn delicious!
My question now, would it be possible to freeze the ready made dish?
Thanks for your reply in advance and greetings from sri lanka.
I was quite worried about the smell and taste of this beans but to my surprise, it was well blended and taste very good. Thanks.
I went through your website and i did learned a lot of ideas on how to cook various African food . You are such a blessing to me.
Thanks
Aww, thanks Ruth! Thanks for taking the time to write such a sweet comment. Please let me know which ones you try!
Oooh, I love your African recipes! Because I don’t know any myself. Always amazes me how I have most of the ingredients I need!! I’d love to try an African meat casserole. I need to browse through your collection!
Unfortunately, we don’t have too many of those. I hoping to experiment on a few.
I love red red and yours Immaculate looks really delicious!!
Thanks Chichi
Immaculate you can cook!!! This stew looks hearty and delicious. How did you get the lovely lines on the plantain? Welldone.
Thanks Chio! This is a crinkle knife- just google and all kinds would show up.
I’m a vegan and I’m always looking for another hearty meal that packs a real punch of flavour. This did not disappoint, and I’ll be eating it all week for lunch with some mealie pap! Thank you so much, you are so bookmarked for bringing a bit of heat and sunshine to this cold, wet Yorkshire town 🙂
Hey Catriona! So glad I could help! Feeling so guilty, here in Southern California our temp is over 80 degrees.
Dear you do make everything look delicious. My foodie cousin Naa, a follower of yours was right. Keep up the good work especially of sharing African cuisine with the world.
Aww, thanks it is always great to hear-so glad I did not disappoint Naa. Always welcome and love her comments.. AND now she spreading the word. Give her a big hug for me!
The infamous white board is back. Imma you already know I’m all about health and this one meets my approval. I will give one a try with my homemade veggie stock.
Yes, it is Charlene. Girl I am trying to make this work. Do give it a try… I know you are going to love it.
Imma I love your blog and I use your recipes all the time. I am from Cameroon. This year, my husband and I want to eat more healthy, can you sugget some of your healthy recipes?
Hi sheila! So glad to hear you are a frequent visitor. This would be a good place to start ; https://www.africanbites.com/5-simple-healthy-recipes-start-new-year/. Do let me know if you are looking for any specific recipe. Thanks