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Red Red (African Stewed Black-eyed peas)

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Author: Imma
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Red Red Recipe- A hearty tasty and no fuss vegetarian black-eyed peas stewed beans- African Style

Red Red

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.  

Red Red ( Stewed Black-eyed peas )

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.  

Red Red ( Stewed Black-eyed peas )

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 .

Red Red ( Stewed Black-eyed peas )

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!!!

 

 

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”25KfoV5l” upload-date=”2019-04-25T14:02:31.000Z” name=”Red Red” description=”Red Red Recipe- A hearty tasty and no fuss vegetarian black-eyed peas stewed beans- African Style.”]

 

Red Red (African Stewed Black-eyed peas)
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Red Red (African Stewed Black-eyed peas)

Red Red Recipe- A hearty tasty and no fuss vegetarian black-eyed peas stewed beans- African Style.
4.93 from 64 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours
African
Servings 5 -6

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

  • 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.
  • Cover and let sit overnight or 6 to 8 hours
  • 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
  • Drain the cooked beans and set aside
  • If using canned beans you should start from here.
  • 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.
  • Add tomatoes, tomatoes  paste , ginger, garlic, paprika and bouillon powder/ cubes. Cook while stirring for about 60 seconds,
  • 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
  • Finally add the beans, green onions and the remaining stock/water and bring to a boil and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
  • Adjust for seasonings, and beans consistency with water and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 293kcal (15%)| Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)| Protein: 1g (2%)| Sodium: 56mg (2%)| Potassium: 258mg (7%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)| Vitamin A: 1265IU (25%)| Vitamin C: 13.8mg (17%)| Calcium: 19mg (2%)| Iron: 0.7mg (4%)
Author: Imma
Course: Main
Cuisine: African
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Nutrition Facts
Red Red (African Stewed Black-eyed peas)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293
% Daily Value*
Sodium 56mg2%
Potassium 258mg7%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1265IU25%
Vitamin C 13.8mg17%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Stewed-Blacked EYED -peas

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Comments & Reviews

  1. Briana Smith says

    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!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      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 .

      Reply

      • Karen says

        5 stars
        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!

      • ImmaculateBites says

        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.

  3. Linda Wheeler says

    4 stars
    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

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      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!!!

      Reply

      • Linda Wheeler says

        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

      • Linda Wheeler says

        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

      • ImmaculateBites says

        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.

  4. Leah says

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply

  5. Dilkie says

    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.

    Reply

  7. Ingrid says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      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

      Reply

      • Ingrid says

        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.

  8. Kelsey says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  9. Ruth Zalanga says

    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

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Aww, thanks Ruth! Thanks for taking the time to write such a sweet comment. Please let me know which ones you try!

      Reply

  10. Nagi@RecipeTinEats says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  12. ChiO says

    Immaculate you can cook!!! This stew looks hearty and delicious. How did you get the lovely lines on the plantain? Welldone.

    Reply

  13. Catriona says

    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 🙂

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hey Catriona! So glad I could help! Feeling so guilty, here in Southern California our temp is over 80 degrees.

      Reply

  14. V. cate says

    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.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      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!

      Reply