Yor Ke Gari/ Gob3
Gob3, Gari, Beans and Plantains, Red Red, or Yor Ke Gari is a very nutritious, satiating and protein-packed Ghanaian recipe you would be glad to add to your list of meals to make for the week because it tastes better by the day!
Ingredients:
Black Eyed Peas “Soup”
425g dry black eyed peas
2 tsps coarse Himalayan salt
2.5 - 3 litres water
Red Pepper Sauce or Palm Oil
462g sweet red peppers, cored and seeded
345 onions, peeled
30g, 5 -6 garlic cloves, peeled
35g ginger root, peeled
770ml water
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 - 3 ½ tsps coarse Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 ½ tsp ground fennel seeds
2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
½ tsps ground all spice
4g fresh thyme sprig
Baked Plantains
5 - 6 ripe plantains
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle of cinnamon powder
sprinkle of fine Himalayan salt
sprinkle of red chilli pepper flakes
sprinkle of all spice powder
Extras to serve Gob3:
Gari, Sliced avocado, fresh thyme for garnish, boiled eggs (optional)
Directions:
Black Eyed Peas “Soup”
Sort through the beans, wash it and soak it with lots of fresh water for about 8 hours or preferably overnight so the beans can plump up and double in size, making it easier to cook them.
After soaking the beans, rinse them and ad them to a large pot of water with about 2.5 to 3 litres of fresh water. Bring the contents to a boil then open the pot slightly so the bubbling water does not overflow.
Continue to cook the beans until it has softened then season with salt.
Let the contents continue to cook on medium heat until the beans have absorbed most of the liquid.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash a good amount of the beans to make them very mushy. Cooking time will take about between 60 and 90 minutes depending on the quantity of the beans.
Red Pepper Sauce or Palm Oil
Normally, Gob3/ Yor Ke Gari is made with palm oil but in place of palm, this flavourful Red Pepper Sauce will serve you right even for a chance to switch things up.
Combine together the sweet red bell peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger then blend them in batches with some of the pre-measured water.
Save the blended goods in a bowl and add the remaining water to the blender to contain any remainder of the blended goods on the sides of the blender and set aside.
Warm up a stock pot on high heat and add in the olive oil, the blended goods and the water from the blender.
Season the contents in the pot with Himalayan salt, ground coriander seed, ground fennel seeds, red chili pepper flakes and ground all spice.
Let the contents in the pot simmer as the water content reduces until the sauce has achieved a rich consistency without it being thick. To know that the sauce is ready, towards the end of the cooking process, it will splatter consistency. When this happens, cover the pot slightly so it does not cause a mess on your stove. Cooking time will take about 40 - 50 minutes.
Add in the fresh thyme sprigs and taste the sauce to adjust any seasonings.
Aside from Gob3, this sauce can be paired with your grain or protein of choice.
Baked Plantains
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Peel the plantains and cut them in the half lengthwise or in small oval pieces at a slants.
Then place the plantains on a 1 large or 2 medium-sized parchment-lined baking sheets.
Season the plantains with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil a sprinkle of cinnamon powder, fine Himalayan salt, red chilli pepper flakes, and all spice powder. Massage the plantains to evenly coat them with the seasonings.
Transfer the baking sheets and bake the plantains for about 25 to 30 minutes, while making sure to flip the plantains midway through baking so that the cook evenly on both sides until they turn golden.
Serve Gob3 by dishing out some of the beans and topping with the red pepper sauce, then some gari depending on how thick you want this mixture. Mix this combination well so that the gari absorbs the liquid from the beans and the red pepper sauce. Top the mix with sliced avocado and fresh thyme sprigs. Enjoy every single bite!
