Plant-based

Red Red

Name: Red Red
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 3 tins (720g drained) black-eyed beans, rinsed; 2 (300g) onions, finely chopped; 1 (160g) red pepper, diced; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 30g (2 tbsp) tomato purée; 4 cloves (20g) garlic, crushed; 20g fresh ginger, grated; 1 (10g) scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped; 8g (1 tbsp) smoked paprika; 2g (1 tsp) dried thyme; 45ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube vegetable stock cube; 250ml water

A Ghanaian-style black-eyed bean stew in a rich, red sauce of slow-cooked onion, tomato, ginger, smoked paprika and scotch bonnet.

makes 22 blocks, about 20p each

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Time: 55 min15 min prep · 40 min cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 20p
Calories per blockCalories: 71 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

3 tins (720g drained)black-eyed beans, rinsed
2 (300g)onions, finely chopped
1 (160g)red pepper, diced
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
30g (2 tbsp)tomato purée
4 cloves (20g)garlic, crushed
20gfresh ginger, grated
1 (10g)scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped
8g (1 tbsp)smoked paprika
2g (1 tsp)dried thyme
45mlrapeseed oil
1 cubevegetable stock cube
250mlwater

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	71 kcal	213 kcal
Protein	3.1g	9.3g
Carbs	9.7g	29.1g
Fat	2.3g	6.9g
Fibre	2.2g	6.6g
Salt	0.24g	0.72g

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat and soften the onions and pepper for 10 minutes until sweet and starting to colour.
Step 2: Add the garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet, paprika and thyme and stir for 1 minute, then the tomato purée for 1 minute more.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes, stock cube and water. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and the oil starts to pool on top.
Step 4: Stir in the beans and simmer gently for 10 minutes, crushing a few against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce. Season with salt.
Step 5: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: leave the seeds in the scotch bonnet, or add a second one.

Serve it

Fried or roasted ripe plantain · Plain rice or a jacket sweet potato · With wilted greens and crusty bread

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	71	3.1g	9.7g	2.3g	2.2g	0.24g
Per 3 blocks	213	9.3g	29.1g	6.9g	6.6g	0.72g

Cook’s notes

Red palm oil gives the stew its traditional colour and flavour. If you have some, use 30ml in place of the same amount of rapeseed oil.
From dried: soak 250g black-eyed beans overnight, then simmer for 40–50 minutes until tender before adding them in step 4.
Wear gloves to chop the scotch bonnet, and wash the board and knife straight after.

Serve it

Fried or roasted ripe plantain · Plain rice or a jacket sweet potato · With wilted greens and crusty bread.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 213 kcal and 9.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Red Red questions

Can I use a different bean?

Kidney, borlotti or cannellini beans all work in the same drained weight. Black-eyed beans are softer and creamier, so the others give a firmer, chunkier stew.

Why cook the sauce before adding the beans?

The onions need time to turn sweet and the tomato needs to cook down until the oil rises, which is where the depth comes from. Tinned beans are already cooked, so added at the start they would break down to a mush.