If you have been following me, you will know I love plantains. That’s right, the bigger cousin to the common yellow banana. Let me introduce you to Kelewele, a popular snack in Ghana, made from plantains.

This snack is often sold by African street vendors in Ghana. It’s one of those treats where the spices are not set in stone, and may vary according to region or taste. And so that we don’t miss out, here is a wonderful recipe for Kelewele Plantain, from the Diaspora, for you to try:

Kelewele (Spicy Fried Plantains)

Kelewele (Kele-wele) are spiced, fried  plantain chunks. They are simple to make, and delicious to eat. Plantains are familiar to us in the west via the cuisine of the African, Caribbean and Latin community.

A quick and delicious treat, kelewele have been popularised in America by their consumption during Kwanzaa, and festivals celebrated by the Diaspora in North America. Kelewele is a warm treat for those long winter nights.

What you need:

• 4 to 6 plantain bananas; ripe, but not overly ripe, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• palm oil or vegetable oil for frying
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg.
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

What you do:

• Grind together grated ginger root, allspice, garlic, pepper, and salt, then mix with enough water and lemon juice to make a paste. Add nutmeg.
• In a glass bowl toss together the plantain pieces and spice mixture. For more flavour leave in mixture for 20 minutes.
• In a deep skillet, heat oil (just deep enough to allow plantains to float) to 350 degrees F.   Fry plantains, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.  (When frying leave enough room so the do not touch each other.)
• Drain on absorbent paper, keep in warmed oven until all the plantains are fried.  Serve kelewele immediately with your favourite main dish or on their own.

Fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt seem to be the most typical combination of spices used to make kelewele.  Some recipes get a little fancier and add ground cloves, cinanamon, chili powder, or red pepper flakes.  Some replace the water with some stock from a bouillon cube, while others use no liquid and toss the plantain in spices.

Letting the plantains marinate in the spice mixture for ten or twenty minutes is the best way to get a robust taste that is a delight to the taste buds. Enjoy!