This is an easy Kelewele recipe any one can make. It's sweet, spicy, succulent yet with a bit of crunch on the outside due to the crusted spices. Serve this Ghanaian delight to your family and friends on any occasion and watch them clamoring for more.
Table of Contents
What is Kelewele?
Kelewele is a sweet and spicy Ghanaian snack made with sweet plantains, peppers and ginger and cloves. Kelewele is a popular Ghanaian Street food. It is so enjoyable that it is not only served as a snack but is also served as a side to Ghanaian red red for dinner or lunch. It is usually served with peanuts or peanut butter.
What kind of plantains are best for this recipe?
Kelewele is a sweet plantain snack therefore The best plantains to use are ripe plantains. The ones that are yellow, soft to but firm and not mushy. This ensures the sugar in the ripe plantains caramelizes and creates the sweet exterior. Matching it up with spice and salt hmmmm yum!!! Reserve the mushy, over ripe ones for Plantain balls, Plantain bread, crepes and pancakes.
Semi ripe or unripe ( green plantains) are used to make Plantain fufu, Plantain Porridge, Plantain chips and Tostones. They are not suitable for Kelewele.
How to cut the plantains
You can cut the plantains into chunky cubes, or you cut like you would cut potato fries.
Kelewele ingredients
- Plantains
- Onions
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Oil
- Salt
How to make Ghanaian Kelewele with step by step photos
Spices used to make Kelewele
The spices used to make Kelewele include ginger, garlic, anise seeds, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Some of these spices are optional like the nutmeg, anise seeds and cloves.
Originally fresh ingredients are used to make Kelewele. Fresh ingredient like fresh ginger, fresh pepper, fresh garlic, fresh onions. But these days lots of people use dry spices to make Kelewele.
Feel free to substitute dry spices for the fresh ingredients used in this recipe. Substitutes like onion powder for fresh onions, ground ginger for fresh ginger, Ground cayenne pepper for fresh pepper etc.
I prefer using the fresh ingredients because of the crunch it adds to exterior of the fried plantains.
Pro tips
- Type of plantain: Use the right type of plantains (ripe, soft but and not mushy)
- Marinate the plantains. This helps the plantain absorb all the delicious flavors that make this snack sweet and spicy.
- Do not over crowd pan when frying so the plantains don't soak up the oil and become a soggy mess.
- Scooping out the plantains: Use a slotted spoon to scoop out plantains to help drain excess oil It's important to transfer to a paper towel lined tray, colander or dish to further absorb excess oil that wasn't taken care of by the slotted spoon.
- Large Quantities: If you are frying a large quantity for a crowd, consider using a deep fryer.
- Make it healthier: If deep frying worries you, Make air fryer Kelewele by using your Air fryer. Yes you can make plantains in air fryer.
What can you serve with this recipe?
Kelewele can be eaten on its own or as a side to any meal you would ordinarily serve with plantains. As a snack, Kelewele is served with roasted peanuts or peanut butterAs a side, Kelewele is served as a side to
This Kelewele is a delicious treat you need to try and when you do, drop me a comment let's talk about this delicious Ghanaian plantain delicacy.
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Ghanaian Kelewele Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Large ripe plantains
- 1 scotch bonnet / habanero pepper
- ½ Small onion
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon bouillon powder
- 2 ½ cups of Oil for deep frying.
Instructions
Stove top instructions
- With a knife slice off the two tips/ ends of the plantain, then make a slit length wise only going only as deep as the skin of the plantain.
- Cut the plantains into large cubes or chunks and set aside.
- Add all the other ingredients listed into a bowl and blend coarsely with an immersion blender.
- Mix coarsely blender spice mix with plantain chunks, cover bowl with cling film and let sit on the counter for 20 to 30 mins to allow plantain chunks absorb the flavors from the spice blend.
- After the marinade, heat up Oil transfer marinated plantains into hot oil without over crowd the oil. If you overcrowd the oil, the plantains will soak up oil and become soggy. The plantains will also fry unevenly.)
- Fry plantains till golden brown, then scoop out fried plantains from oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined tray, colander or plate.
- Serve warm with peanuts or any dish listed in the body of this post.
Air fryer instructions
- Place Marinated plantains in air fryer basket and air fry at 350°F / 180°C for 15 to 18 mins shaking basket at 5 mins intervals.
Notes
- Type of plantain: Use the right type of plantains (ripe, soft but and not mushy)
- Marinate the plantains. This helps the plantain absorb all the delicious flavors that make this snack sweet and spicy.
- Do not over crowd pan when frying so the plantains don't soak up the oil and become a soggy mess.
Kei
Hi,
this recipe looks amazing. If I cut the plantain as in the photo, how many pieces should this recipe make exactly? Or how many servings?
Following you on instagram! Thanks you.
Chichi Uguru
Hi Kei,
If you cut a large plantain the way it’s described in the post, you you should get 25 - 30 pieces per plantain. Bear in mind that the number will depend on the size of the plantains used. Hope that answers your question. Thanks for following along on Instagram, I appreciate that!
-Chichi
PS: PS: I’m growing my YouTube channel and I’d love you to check it out and subscribe if you like my content. Thank you.
https://www.YouTube.com/c/mydiasporakitchen
Sandhya Hariharan
Spicy Plantains are something my mum always made when we were little. This looks delicious..
Chichi Uguru
Thanks Sandhya
Matt Ivan
I’ve never made home made plantains but this looks too yummy to pass up! !
Chichi Uguru
You should try them. They are delicious. . Thanks for stopping by Matt ?
May
I've had plantains at restaurants before, but I've never made them since I didn't know how. I can't wait to try making these, they look amazing!
Chichi Uguru
Oh they are. You would love them. ?
Beth Pierce
Made this for my kids for an after school snack and they loved it! Perfectly flavored and easy too!
Chichi Uguru
Awesome. Thanks for letting me know. ?