AI-generated photo.
Ghanaian · Iconic, Accra · Ghana
Kelewele
Kelewele (kelewele), a Accra plate from Ghana.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Kelewele is cooked in Accra as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Toss ripe plantain with ginger and cayenne and fry it until the edges caramelize. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
72
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 3%
- Carbs 67%
- Fat 31%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 2 g, under the 25 g mark.
Suits · Low sodium
About 297 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Suits · Vegan
No meat, fish, egg, dairy, honey, or gelatin in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Frying makes this a harder plate when you feel unwell.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Plantain171 kcal
- Neutral oil77 kcal
- Fresh ginger4 kcal
- Cayenne2 kcal
- Nutmeg1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 25.8. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 255 kcal. Two portions would be about 510 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 191 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 255 kcal | 13% |
| Protein | 2 g | 4% |
| Carbohydrate | 46 g | 17% |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 10% |
| Total sugars | 24.7 g | 49% |
| Fat | 9.4 g | 12% |
| Saturated fat | 1.5 g | 8% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 297 mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 717 mg | 15% |
| Calcium | 7 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 5% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 0.3 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 94 mcg | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 26.6 mg | 30% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 1 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin K | 57 mcg | 48% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 8% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 9% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg | 21% |
| Folate | 32 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Sugars are noticeable. A smaller portion changes the day.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
- This is fried food, and the calories or saturated fat make it a rich plate.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Slotted spoon
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Plantain2 plantains560 g
Fresh ginger1 tbsp18 g
Cayenne1 tsp3 g
Nutmeg0.25 tsp1 g
Neutral oil2 tbsp38.46 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Kelewele. Heat to 350°F / 177°C oil and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh plantain, fresh ginger, cayenne, nutmeg, neutral oil, kosher salt. Kelewele is cooked in Accra as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Toss ripe plantain with ginger and cayenne and fry it until the edges caramelize. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Kelewele is cooked in ghana. Drain fried food on a rack, not on a piled paper towel that traps steam.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Kelewele, until the edges take a little color. A thermometer in the thickest center beats guessing from the color.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Kelewele at 350°F / 177°C oil. Start checking at 7 minutes. Kelewele is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
Fry 7 min
- 🇬🇭 GhanaWest Africaicon-ghana-kelewele-step-4
Kelewele, step 5
Step 5 · Kelewele
5Check the center of Kelewele, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇬🇭 GhanaWest Africaicon-ghana-kelewele-step-5
Kelewele, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Kelewele for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in ghana, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Kelewele in this shot order and no other: a spoon making a path through the sauce; oil or butter just starting to shimmer; herbs cut in at the end; tongs turning one piece. Slate words for the editor: tender, quiet, kiln, dough, zester, whisked, sheen, marble, fork, bronzed.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Kelewele is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
If it goes wrong
- Kelewele looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Kelewele turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Kelewele, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Kelewele is one of the plates people ask for by name from Accra.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Toss ripe plantain with ginger and cayenne and fry it until the edges caramelize.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.