Kelewele

Kelewele is as Ghanaian as it gets - along with Kente cloth, cocoa beans and dilapidated taxi's. On any given day, as dusk falls, thousands of vendors acorss the country fire up their mobile ovens to make this classic dish for the hungry masses. I love dusk, but nightfall in Ghana is special, against a back drop of a tropical setting sun, you'll find the beat of hip-life music jostling with the aroma of frying chichinga, while noisy crowds make their way home - it's intoxicating and crazy all in one unique way.

This particular version of Kelewele is one I've grown up with, a tasty snack my Mum would make as a starter to a traditional Sunday roast, it pairs excellently with dry, roasted peanuts and Songs of Praise!

Ingredients 

2 medium sized plantain (part ripe and yellow is best)
1/2 tps salt
1/4 of a minced onion
1 tsp grated hot ginger
1 tsp crushed cloves
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp warm water

Start by peeling your plantains and cutting in half and then again length wise. Holding the knife at an angle, slice the plantain into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Using a rolling pin, cover cloves in cling film and crush into a crumbly consistency and add to a small bowl. Next, mince, ginger and onion and add to the cloves along with the pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and water and mix into a paste. If you want your Kelewele particularly spicy, add an extra 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. Grab a large spoon and mix up the plantain roughly, this will give a nice, crispy finish to the plantain and then leave to stand for 15 minutes.
Heat one inch of oil in a pan until hot and in small batches add plantain to the oil with a slotted, metal spoon ensuring the pieces are not touching. Fry until golden brown and place in a bowl in a pre-heated oven to maintain temperature. Repeat the process until plantain is finished. A great snack for any day and any occasion - it's the closest thing to being transported to a roadside vendor in Accra!