Kelewele (Spiced Fried Plantains)

Name: Kelewele (Spiced Fried Plantains)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 4 ripe plantains (skins should be mostly black), peeled, cubed; 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

A beloved Ghanaian street food of ripe plantains seasoned with ginger, cayenne, and spices, then fried until caramelized and crispy on the outside with a sweet, tender center.

30 minEasyServes 4285 cal/serving

West AfricanSideStovetopVeganGluten-FreeDairy-FreeEgg-FreeNut-FreeLow-SodiumPork-Free

Ingredients

4 ripe plantains (skins should be mostly black), peeled, cubed
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1

Peel 4 ripe plantains (skins should be mostly black) and cut into 1-inch cubes or diagonal slices.
2

In a bowl, toss the plantain pieces with 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves until evenly coated.
3

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a piece of plantain dropped in sizzles immediately.
4

Fry plantains in a single layer without overcrowding, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and caramelized on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total.
5

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot immediately.

Questions

How long does Kelewele (Spiced Fried Plantains) keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat uncovered in a 400 F oven (or an air fryer) for a few minutes to bring the crust back; the microwave softens it.

Can I halve or double Kelewele (Spiced Fried Plantains)?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.