From Ghana to Kenya an appealing dish, good as an appetizer for aperitifs and to accompany some ethnic dishes.
Kelewele, this is the original name of the dish, has its variants in every country and in certain regions of Kenya it is simply called "Spicy Plantain", because this traditional West African dish is made with a green banana, the plantain, which is used throughout the continent as an alternative to potatoes in stews or fried, or mashed or dried and used as flour.
In this case, the plantain chunks are browned and fried, accompanied by spices and caramelized, for an appealing sweet-savory and spicy contrast.
The plantains are cut into cubes, seasoned with a mixture of spices and then fried, until the sugar cracks and turns the outside of the cubes brown. In this way the plantain cubes will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They can be served this way, mixed with cashews or peanuts or even used as a side dish for creamy dishes or dips accompanied by sautéed rice.

These are the ingredients for a nice plate of Kelewele:
3 ripe plantains
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Half an onion (in some African regions garlic is used, we prefer onion)
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ginger powder (or freshly grated)
A few seeds of cardamom (or star anise if desired)
1 tablespoon seed oil for frying
salt to taste

Preparation:

Moisten your hands with cooking oil to prevent the flesh of the plantains from sticking to your hands as you work them.
Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow line down the length of the plantains and remove the skin.
Cut the plantains into small cubes about two inches in size and set them aside.
In a large bowl, add all the spices with a tablespoon of oil and mix them evenly together, then place the diced plantains in the bowl and gently knead the spice mix with your hands, making sure they are all well coated.
Let the plantains sit in the spice mixture for 30 minutes.
Add the cooking oil to a large skillet and allow it to heat over a medium-high heat source, making sure the oil is very hot before slipping them in.
Add the spiced plantains to the hot oil in batches so they can fry well without touching each other, so don't overfill the pan. This will help achieve the right consistency.
Let one side brown before flipping the other so that both sides are well cooked, golden and crispy. Follow this step carefully to avoid burning.
Once the frying is complete, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Once they are dry, you can use them as you prefer, as a tasty snack or accompaniment for other African foods.