Ghanaian Red Red Stew

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cowpeas of any kind (black-eyed peas are the most common)

1/4 cup red palm oil, or substitute (see above)

1 red onion, chopped

A 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, minced

1/4 pound smoked pork, chopped (or ham)

1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne

1 teaspoon curry powder

4 to 6 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the cowpeas in plain water until they are tender. Add a big pinch of salt, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Set aside for now.

In a medium pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat. When it's hot, saute the onions for about 3 minutes, then add the Scotch bonnet and the chopped, smoked pork. Saute for another minute or three. Stir in the cayenne and the curry powder, then the chopped fresh tomatoes.

Add the remaining ingredients and the cowpeas. Remove the cowpeas from their water with a slotted spoon. It's OK if some cooking water gets into the pot. Stir well to combine and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with fried plantains or simple white rice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 412 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 14 mg
• Sodium: 409 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 50 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10 g
• Total Sugars: 11 g
• Protein: 22 g