Africa and indeed the African Diaspora is the home of very delicious, classic and even spiritual meals. At ILoveAfrica, we love to share very exotic meal recipes from all over the continent; and today, in the spirit of celebration Ghana’s 65th independence anniversary which was only a few days ago (March 6th ); we have Kelewele a spicy and tasty Plantain snack.
Kelewele is a Ghanaian spicy fried ripe plantain snack that is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It can be enjoyed on its own as a snack, paired with peanuts or paired as a side with meals like Rice.
This spicy fried snack is one of those street vendor foods that are very easy to make. Ripe plantains are cut on a diagonal mixed with various spices and deep-fried in red or any oil until it’s crispy on the outside. Most people use overly ripe plantains too.
Ingredients for Kelewele
- 4-6 ripe plantains with little black spots
- 1/4 onion cut in pieces
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne or chili pepper
- 1/2- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bouillon powder or small bouillon Maggie cube (optional)
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
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Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain,
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cut only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
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Cut plantains in diagonal pieces and set aside.
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Blend onions , ginger, garlic, in a blend or food processor, with just enough water to facilitate blending , then add cayenne pepper, lemon, nutmeg, salt and bouillon. Set aside
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In a large bowl toss the plantain cubes and ginger spice mixture
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Let it rest for about 10 to 20 minutes to absorb the flavor
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Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
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Fry the plantain cubes in batches , turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan( it will cause the plantains to be soggy and absorb excess oil
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Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried plantains to pan lined with paper towels.
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Serve warm.
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Recipe @immaculatebites
