Kele Wele ( Spicy, fried ripe plantains)

One of my favorite Ghanaian dishes is kele wele.  This dish is made of diced, ripe plantains marinated in spices and then fried. It can be eaten alone as a snack or with other dishes such as Jollof.  Here is a recipe for kele wele from the new Ghanaian cookbook "Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana".

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe plantains ( yellow skin, firm)
• 2 medium ginger roots ( 2 1/2 inches long & 1 inch wide)
• 4 red Serrano peppers
• 5 cups of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel plantains
2. Cut across horizontally and dice plantains, wash and place them in a bowl
3. Peel ginger and puree, with red peppers, in a food processor
4. Add salt to the pureed spice
5. Add spice mixture to diced plantains
6. Let marinate for 30 minutes
7. Pour oil in a pot and heat on medium-high heat for 5 - 7 minutes
8. Slowly add some plantains and let fry for 6 - 8 minutes until golden brown
9. Removed cooked kele wele and place on sheet of paper towel
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with remaining plantains

 Helpful hints and more:

• Make sure oil is heated before frying.
• If you do not have fresh ginger root, you can always use store-ready ginger paste.  Do not use ginger powder!
• For an extra "melt-in-your-mouth", munch the kele wele with some roasted peanuts!