Easy Kelewele – Spicy Fried Plantains

Kelewele –  Made with ripe plantains that are peeled, cut into small cubes or bite-size chunks, and seasoned with spices such as Onion, Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, and Ginger. This is then fried until the sugar in the plantain caramelizes, and produces brown edges.

Kelewele – Easy, quick, and super tasty Spicy Fried Plantain cubes.

Kelewele or Spicy Fried Plantain cubes is a popular and well-loved Ghanaian food and it’s a winner recipe because all the ingredients used for making it are all pantry spices.

Typically the spices used to make these Spicy Fried Plantains are Onions, Ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt. However, spices like Anise, Cloves, Cinnamon, cardamom pod, and Nutmeg can also be used depending on individual preference.

The traditional method of making Kelewele requires the use of fresh Onions, and fresh Ginger, together with other dry spices. All these are now blended into a paste to create the spicy kelewele sauce.

My easy take on this recipe creates a little twist to the traditional – It eliminates the use of a blender. All the spices I used are in their dry form and this makes clean up easier without compromise on taste.

Traditional Kelewele Recipe

You can still use fresh Onion and Ginger in this recipe if you choose to. All you need to do is to blend two Shallots or one bulb of onion, about an inch of fresh Ginger root together with the other dry ingredients. Pour this over the cubed plantains. Mix together thoroughly and fry.

Kelewele is best served with peanuts, Rice, Stewed Beans, or as a dessert.

Other plantain recipes you might want to try:

• Plantain and Egg Frittata
• Baked Plantain chips
• Plantain Bread
• Plantain puff puff
• How to cook plantains
• Crispy Plantain fries
• Plantain pancake
• Plantains and Gizzards – Gizdodo

Notes:

1. Don’t overfill the pan otherwise, the plantains will not brown evenly – It’s okay to fry in batches if the plantains cannot fit into your pan at once.
2. Be sure to keep a close eye on the plantains while frying because they have a tendency to burn if it’s not well attended to.
3. Before frying the Kelewele, make sure the oil is hot. If the Oil is not hot enough the plantains will absorb the Oil, and it will turn out too soft and oil lodged.

Easy Kelewele - Spicy Fried Plantains

This Kelewele, an easy, quick, and super tasty Spicy Fried Plantain cubes. Made with ripe plantains that are peeled, cut into small cubes or bite-size chunks, and seasoned with spices such as Onion, Garlic, Cayenne Peper, and Ginger.

4.50 from 6 votes

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Course: Dessert, Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: African

Keyword: homemade, Kelewele, plantain

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 People

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Lola Osinkolu

Ingredients

• 3 Ripe Plantains
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Olive Oil for deep frying

Instructions

• Peel the plantains and cut them into bite-sized cubes or chunks.
• Add the ginger, garlic, chili powder, nutmeg, salt, and the one Tbsp of Olive Oil.
• Mix everything together until the spices are well distributed all over the plantain cubes.
• Heat up the Olive Oil in a fry-Pan. Once the Oil is hot, gently lower the plantains inside the Oil using a slotted spoon
• Fry for about 6 to 10 minutes, turning over at intervals until the plantain is caramelized with golden brown edges.

Notes

1. Don’t overfill the pan otherwise, the plantains will not brown evenly - It’s okay to fry in batches if the plantains cannot fit into your pan at once.
2. Be sure to Keep a close eye on the plantains while frying because they have a tendency to burn if it’s not well attended to.
3. Before frying the Kelewele, make sure the oil is hot. If the Oil is not hot enough the plantains will absorb the Oil, and it will turn out too soft and Oil lodged.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 576mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1230IU | Vitamin C: 16.5mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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