Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Tomato (Red-Red)

Ingredients

¼ cup refined coconut oil

1 large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 jalapeño chilies, stemmed, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

3-ounce piece fresh ginger, cut into 4 to 6 chunks

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Four 15½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Lime wedges, to serve

Plantain chips, to serve

Directions

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the coconut oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the jalapeños, ginger, tomato paste, curry powder and chipotle powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the black-eyed peas and stir well. Stir in 1½ cups water, the soy sauce and tomatoes, then bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle but steady simmer, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Remove and discard the ginger chunks, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and plantain chips.

Notes

Don’t use unrefined coconut oil, which will give the dish a distinct coconut flavor.

Heady with ginger and chilies, Ghana’s “red-red” stew gets its namesake color from a combination of red palm oil and tomatoes. We found the more widely available refined coconut oil was a good substitute for red palm oil. For the legumes, we preferred Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value canned black-eyed peas for their soft, creamy texture. Goya brand, sold in slightly larger cans, also yielded good results, but the texture was a bit firmer. Red-red typically is paired with thick slabs of fried plantain; we opted for the simplicity and crunch of store-bought plantain chips. If you like, garnish the stew with cilantro leaves and, for added spice, offer hot sauce on the side.