Rice and beans, Accra style
Waakye
Rice and black-eyed peas, stained deep burgundy with millet leaves, served with all the extras.
- Total time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Waakye (pronounced waa-chay) is Ghana's beloved breakfast and street-food plate. Rice and beans cook together in water coloured by dried sorghum leaves, then get piled with spaghetti, boiled egg, gari, fried plantain and a spoonful of shito.
Ingredients
Rice and beans
- 2 cups black-eyed peas (or cowpeas), soaked 4 hours or overnight
- 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
- Dried waakye leaves (sorghum leaves), a large handful, or 1 tsp baking soda plus a few drops of red food colouring if you cannot find them
- 1 tsp salt
- Water
To serve
- Boiled eggs
- Fried ripe plantain
- Boiled spaghetti
- Gari
- Shito (Ghana black pepper sauce)
- Fresh tomato and onion stew
Method
- 01
Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot with the waakye leaves. Cover with about 6 cups of water.
- 02
Boil for 40 to 50 minutes until the beans are just tender and the water is a deep reddish brown.
- 03
Remove and discard the leaves. Keep the beans and their cooking water in the pot.
- 04
Add the rinsed rice and salt. Top up with hot water so it sits about 1 inch above the rice and beans.
- 05
Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
- 06
Rest the pot, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff gently.
- 07
Plate with spaghetti, sliced egg, plantain, a sprinkle of gari and generous shito.
Kitchen tips
- Soak the beans well. Undersoaked beans stay hard after the rice is done.
- The more leaves you use, the deeper the colour and the more earthy the flavour.
- Wrap leftovers in a damp towel and microwave for a street-style reheat.
Cooking abroad?
Dried waakye leaves are sold in African and Caribbean grocery shops and online. They keep for a year in a sealed bag.
