What does Kelewele mean?

In English, kelewele means “hot plantain crisps.” It is simply a spicy or spiced fried ripe plantains. And it tastes so good!

What is Kelewele seasoning made of?

Traditionally, and in most West African countries, especially in Ghana, you make this recipe with fresh ingredients, including fresh onions (not onion powder) and fresh ginger (not ginger powder). Also among the ingredients include spicy pepper or cayenne, salt, nutmeg and other spices. I have also seen people make kelewele with powdered onion and ginger. Personally, I try to stick with the ingredients, and for this recipe, I stick with only six ingredients: ripe plantains, onions, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Why is Kelewele sold at night?

In Ghana, kelewele is usually sold at night, and it is the perfect evening snack. One of the reasons people believe that this street food is sold at night is because Ghana, like most West African countries, is hot. So, it makes sense to fry and sell these spicy fried plantains in the evening and at night when the temperature is cooler.

How To Make Ghanaian Spicy Fried Plantains (Kelewele)

Name: How To Make Ghanaian Spicy Fried Plantains (Kelewele)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 3 – 4 Ripe plantains (very ripe sweet plantains with brown/age spots); 1 small bulb of purple onion or ½ big bulb; 1 – 2 thumb(s) of Fresh ginger; ½ – 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; ¾ – 1 tsp Salt; ½ tsp Cayenne pepper (or as needed); Oil (for frying); up to 2 – 3 cups – peanut oil or canola oil is great for frying or any vegetable oil you desire.

Description

Kelewele, aka aloco, simply translates to “fried plantain crisps.” This is a popular Ghanaian street food. First, very ripe yellow plantains are cut, seasoned/battered in refreshing herbs and spices. Then fry until golden brown and slightly crispy. This recipe will change how you see or enjoy plantains, and you will be tempted to eat it all. This is a snack of our dreams and totally worth the hype. Oh, did I mention that these Ghanaian spicy fried plantains are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan?

Ingredients

Scale

3 – 4 Ripe plantains (very ripe sweet plantains with brown/age spots)
1 small bulb of purple onion or ½ big bulb
1 – 2 thumb(s) of Fresh ginger
½ – 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¾ – 1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Cayenne pepper (or as needed)
Oil (for frying); up to 2 – 3 cups – peanut oil or canola oil is great for frying or any vegetable oil you desire.

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Instructions

Gather your ingredients. Though the kelewele, aka aloco recipe, requires only 6 ingredients you easily sneeze out of your pantry, I still encourage you to have your ingredients ready before starting.
Peel and cut the plantains. Typically, I wash my plantains before peeling, so if you wish to wash them as I do, then go ahead and do so. Next, peel the plantains and cut them as desired. To be honest, you can cut the plantains any way you wish. If you need help figuring out how to cut your plantains for kelewele, look at my photos to see the shape of the plantains. You can also simply cut the plantains into cubes. Also, watch my video for the tutorial. Additionally, peel the onion and set aside.
Season the plantains. Place the cut plantains into a big bowl, then grate the onion into the bowl of plantain. Next grate the ginger into the same bowl as well as the nutmeg. Finally, add cayenne pepper and salt and combine everything. I would usually taste and adjust the flavor if necessary. You can allow your seasoned/spiced plantains to marinate for up to 30 minutes before frying. Personally, I don‘t.
Fry Your Spiced Plantains. Place your frying pan on the stove turned on medium heat, add the oil. Ensure that you have enough oil to fry the aloco. Allow the oil to heat up before adding the spiced plantains. To fry, gently add them to your hot oil away from your body avoiding hot splashes. Cook on all sides, stirring and turning (as needed) until golden brown and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to scoop off the oil and place on a parchment paper-lined tray/plate. Repeat this process to cook all your spiced/marinated plantains. Then, grab a chair, sit down, and enjoy with groundnuts!

Notes

Use fresh ingredients, especially fresh onions and ginger.

Use ripe plantains

Add more cayenne pepper if desired to be spicyer.

Depending on the color you desire for your kelewele, you could fry them just a tad bit longer for a deeper brown color.

Use quality oil for frying.