
AI-generated photo.
Ghanaian · Ghana
Spiced fried plantain
Also called Kelewele
Spiced fried plantain, a dish from Ghana (Kelewele).
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Spiced fried plantain is cooked in Ghana as its own dish. Toss ripe plantain with ginger and chili, then fry until the edges darken. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
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.
77
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 3%
- Carbs 62%
- Fat 35%
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 1.3 g, under the 25 g mark.
Suits · Low sodium
About 392 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.
- Plantain110 kcal
- Neutral oil62 kcal
- Fresh ginger3 kcal
- Cayenne2 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 16.7. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 176 kcal. Two portions would be about 352 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 132 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish 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.
Pan-cook with a teaspoon of oil, or roast, instead of frying in deep oil.
Less oil, same seasoning. 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 | 176 kcal | 9% |
| Protein | 1.3 g | 3% |
| Carbohydrate | 29.7 g | 11% |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 6% |
| Total sugars | 15.9 g | 32% |
| Fat | 7.4 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 1.1 g | 6% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 392 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 465 mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 4 mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 3% |
| Magnesium | 35 mg | 8% |
| Zinc | 0.2 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 61 mcg | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 17.1 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.7 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin K | 39 mcg | 33% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 5% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 6% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.7 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg | 14% |
| Folate | 21 mcg | 5% |
| 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.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
- The method is a fry, so it stays out of the lightest group even when the rest of the plate is modest.
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 plantains360 g
Fresh ginger1 piece16 g
Cayenne1 tsp2 g
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
Neutral oil2 tbsp30.77 ml
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 brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Pan-cook with a teaspoon of oil, or roast, instead of frying in deep oil.. Less oil, same seasoning.
Method

AI-generated photo.
1Heat the oil until a pinch of the coating sizzles at once. Do not let it smoke. For Spiced fried plantain, start here: toss ripe plantain with ginger and chili, then fry until the edges darken.

AI-generated photo.
2Toss ripe plantain with ginger and chili, then fry until the edges darken.
Cook 15 min

AI-generated photo.
3The crust should be pale gold and the center cooked through. Stop when this is true of Spiced fried plantain: Toss ripe plantain with ginger and chili, then fry until the edges darken.

AI-generated photo.
4Drain on a rack for a minute so the crust stays crisp. Spiced fried plantain is eaten in Ghana as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it.
How you know it is done
Spiced fried plantain is done when it looks like the finished plate in the last step, with the seasoning tasted and adjusted.
If it goes wrong
- Spiced fried plantain looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Spiced fried plantain spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Spiced fried plantain, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Spiced fried plantain is cooked by fry in Ghana. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the fiber, fat, and salt on the panel match this plate.
Notes
Pregnancy. There is no alcohol in the required list. Wash produce and use pasteurized dairy if you add it.
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.