Today my host mom prepared kélé wélé for the first time. While I've enjoyed fried plantains many times in Ghana, kélé wélé's aromatic seasoning blend of cloves, ginger, and pepper puts it in an entirely different league of its own.
Kélé Wélé Recipe
Serves 6 people with normal appetites or 3 Ghanaians.
Ingredients:
- 6 extremely ripe, yellow or black plantains
- One piece of ginger, roughly 1 square inch
- One clove of garlic
- One small handful of cloves
- One small handful of black peppercorns
- Salt
- Coconut or vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
1. Peel the ripe plantains and cut them into small strips.
2. Place garlic, ginger, cloves, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pestle or a mini food-processor with a small amount of water. Grind until it reaches a paste-like consistency.
3. Marinate the plantains in the paste for 30 minutes.
4. Heat coconut or vegetable oil. Once hot, add the marinated plantains and fry until golden brown.
5. Serve with roasted groundnuts (peanuts) and/or plain rice with stew. Enjoy!
