Waakye is a dish originally from the Northern part of Ghana. It is a loose translation of the Hausa phrase rice and beans. Traditionally it is just white rice cooked with black eye beans and saltpetre/baking soda, which gives it a brownish colour. However, someone decided to add sorghum leaves along the way, and now everyone knows waakye to be a bright burgundy rice and beans dish.
Although on its own it is traditionally vegan, waakye is served with a variety of condiments that makes it a special reflection of Ghanaian cuisine. Waakye is usually served in plantain leaves and eaten with a lot of condiments. These condiments include tomato stew, shito, coleslaw/salad, egg (because it’s a Ghanaian meal), spaghetti, which we call talia, gari (cassava couscous), kelewele, and cow skin or fried fish. However, these condiments can be easily made vegan and make an incredible and fulfilling dish.
How to prepare
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups white rice
- 2 cups black eye beans
- 10-12 pieces of millet or waakye leaves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 5-7 cups water
Step by step
- First, wash the beans and soak it overnight. If you are pressed with time, soak for at least 30 minutes. Soaking the beans helps get rid of the gas that is normally found in beans.
- Next day, strain the water that was used to soak the beans. Transfer the beans into a cooking pot then add the millet or waakye leaves, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3 cups of water and stir well. Cover the pot and cook until the beans are halfway done. About 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, wash the rice and add it to the beans and millet leaves. Add 3 cups of water and salt. Stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, take out the waakye leaves and fluff the rice with a fork, then cover and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
- With a fork, fluff the rice again, then cover it with a paper towel and cook until the rice is soft.
- Tip: If you prefer your waakye very soft just add more water. About ½ -1 cup of water.
- Serve with tomato stew (waakye stew), fried fish, boiled eggs, gari, spaghetti and shito on the side.
