A GNA feature by Regina Benneh, GNA
Sunyani, (Bono), April 25, GNA – ‘Kelewele’, an ancient and traditionally fried Ghanaian dish is often common on the streets at night hours for travelers and wanderers.
Infact, nobody directs consumers to buying points, as the aroma always hits and wootes the appetite and the warm wave of ginger and pepper normally drive consumers to the vendors.
Kelewele Origin
Kelewele grew out of everyday cooking in southern Ghana, especially among the people of the Ga and Akan tribes, very common on the streets of Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast.
The name ‘Kelewele’ is a Ga dialect and combination of ‘Kele’ (cut into small pieces) and ‘Wele’ (fried).
Check shows that Kelewele began as a practical way to make ripped plantain more exciting than plain fried plantain.
Ingredients
Preparing kelewele with red plantain is straightforward, however it relies on balance.
The ingredients comprised ripped plantains, one thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, three cloves of garlic, one onion, two kpakpo shito peppers, half a teaspoon of ground cloves or a pinch of nutmeg.
Normally a teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of water and oil for deep frying as well as groundnut oil is the classic choice.
Preparation
Home cooks and market street venders tossed the cubes in ginger, pepper, and local spices preparation before being fried to become fragrant, addictive, and easy to eat.
Further checks show that by the middle of the twentieth century, Kelewele was a fixture at lorry stations, night markets and chop bars and was a cheap filling snack that, usually consumed with tooth pick or raw fingers.
The process of frying begins with peeling the ripe plantain and cutting them into bite-sized cubes about one inch across.
The spice paste is made by blending ginger, garlic, onion, pepper, cloves or nutmeg, salt, and a splash of water into a thick, smooth paste. However, the paste should not be watery anyway.
Then, the ripe plantain cubes are tossed in the paste until every piece is coated and left to marinate to soak up flavor.
As the oil heats to medium-hot, around 180 degrees Celsius, the cubes are fried in batches in order that they don’t steam, turned occasionally until they are deep golden brown and caramelized at the edges.
Then Kelewele is ready and drained on paper towels, served hot and usually in a paper wrap with roasted groundnuts.
Why ripped plantain
Riped plantain is the variety most vendors prefer for Kelewele because it is soft and sweet as the softness allows it to caramelize beautifully in hot oil and to absorb the spice marinade without falling apart.
Its deep orange-red flesh also gives Kelewele the signature golden-brown color that people recognized from a distance.
Serving Kelewele
The spicy, sweet-savory cubes of Keleweles are normally served hot in a paper wrap, usually with a handful of roasted groundnuts.
In fact, Kelewele remains a loyal companion to night travelers and wanderers, and its taste, sweet and fiery gingered-pepper and warm cloves is among the reasons Kelewele remained a favorite to many eaters.
Kelewele is a simple local cuisine that delivers a complex flavor that fits the rhythm of city life.
Consumer experiences
Mr Adu Boakye, a teacher, explained that Kelewele had remained his favourite since childhood, when he used to go to the street and stand afar just to smell the aroma because he could not afford to buy it as a child.
“The only way I could often taste it is when somebody sent me to go and buy Kelewele”, he stated.
Mr Boakye expressed concern about the high price of Kelewele, saying that though many preferred it, they could not afford to buy because kelewele is expensive, urging the vendors to do something about the price for the ordinary people to afford.
Price of Kelewele
Many people still do not understand why Kelewele is expensive when ripe plantain remains cheaper.
Checks reveal that a whole bunch of ripe plantain, sell around GHC5, however, a small wrap of Kelewele goes for GHC15.
Madam Stephanie Ankama, a popular Kelewele vendor in Sunyani, explained that the price for the dish was not only determined by the ripe plantain alone, saying that other costs were also considered as well.
She expressed concern about increased price of oil, saying that: “Kelewele is deeply fried and a vendor needs litres of oil to do so”.
Mad Ankama noted that presently a good frying oil was very expensive, saying that the price of a bottle of oil was even more expensive than whole bunches of the ripe plantain.
She said an increase in the price of fuel was also another concern, saying that Kelewele vendors used charcoal stoves or gas cylinders to fry for hours, adding that the price of charcoal was even more expensive now.
Besides, she noted that the price of spices as well as labour fees also add up to determining the cost of Kelewele on the street, saying that ginger, garlic, onion, pepper, cloves, and nutmeg had also soared.
“In fact, customers pay for all the preparation process and not only the ripe plantain”, Mad Ankama stated.
Kelewele is a ready-to-eat street food mostly sold at bus terminals, she stated, saying that the vendors also factored rent for the spot, transportation, polythene, or paper wraps too.
Health Benefits
Ripe plantain is the base, and it brings more than just sweetness as plantains are a good source of complex carbohydrates.
Consumption of Kelewele provides steady energy as fibre helps digestion of potassium and magnesium support heart functioning, blood pressure regulation, and muscle health.
Ripe plantain tends to have slightly more of these minerals than the former yellow type.
In fact, ginger spice blend is anti-inflammatory and good for digestion and can ease nausea and reduce bloating while garlic contains allicin and is linked to immune support and modest blood pressure benefits.
More so, pepper (Kpakpo shito or cayenne) boosts metabolism slightly and has antioxidant properties and also triggers endorphins which is part of that “addictive” feel.
Nutmeg also contains antioxidant compounds and traditional use for relieving gas and improving appetite while cloves also have mild antimicrobial properties.
Doctor’s advice
Dr Godfred Owusu Ansah, a Sunyani based medical practitioner said that: “Because Kelewele is typically deep-fried it adds significant levels of trans fats and saturated fats to the plantains”, saying that high consumption of fried foods could contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure and increased cholesterols.
He said the high-fat content from frying could clog arteries and affect the overall heart health, saying that excessive consumption of high-fat and fried foods could lead to cardiovascular problems.
“Kelewele is often sold and consumed late at night and due to its deep-fried nature, it can be heavy to digest, leading to discomfort, bloating, or acid reflux if eaten before bedtime”, he stated.
Dr Owusu Ansah said that while plantains contained nutrients, the starch broke down into sugars, which could also cause significant blood sugar spikes, particularly for people with diabetes and or insulin resistance.
“Due to the spicy nature of Kelewele, it can cause gastrointestinal problems like heartburns”, he added, saying that because the dish was fried high in oil Kelewele absorbed a fair amount of fat in deep frying, raising the calorie count.
He advised the public and vendors to prefer fresh oil, advising that: “They should not overheat it because smoking oil creates harmful compounds”.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Linda Asante Agyei