Traditional Ghanaian Waakye
Waakye is the national dish of Ghana that consists of rice and black eye beans cooked with sorghum leaves. The leaves give it a unique brown color and a subtle earthy taste. It's served with many different customizable toppings to make the dish a hearty and filling meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 cup black eye beans
- 6-8 waakye leaves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Salt to taste
- water
Toppings
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Shito
- Ghanaian tomato stew
- Spaghetti
- Gari
- Your choice of vegetables
Directions
- Cover beans in water and soak for at least 2.5 hours or can be soaked overnight.
- Drain beans and add them to a pot with salt, waakye leaves, and baking soda then cover with water.
- Cover and boil on medium heat until soft but still not slightly firm in the middle.
- Wash rice and add to beans with.
- Add enough water to cover about an inch above the rice, then add oil and salt to taste.
- Bring rice and beans to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium.
- Check rice. Cook time can be different for everyone so check within 10-15 mins. You know it is done when the rice is fluffy and the beans are soft but not mushy.
- Add recommended toppings or others, serve, and enjoy.
Love,
Sey
Why you'll love this recipe
If you've enjoyed Jamaican rice and peas or other Caribbean beans and rice dishes, you will likely appreciate waakye. This flavorful dish bears a striking resemblance to those Caribbean classics but is distinguished by its accompaniment: a tomato-based stew. The stew is richly seasoned with an array of spices, providing both flavor and a delightful umami taste. The addition of shito (a Ghanaian sauce made from onions, spices, and crayfish powder) is also an additional element of umami as well. Shito is labor intensive, so many people normally buy it from the store.
Oddly enough, spaghetti is always added to waakye. No one knows where the tradition started, but it's a must. The noodles add another texture to the dish, making it even more fun and fulfilling to eat. Lastly, the boiled egg adds another element of protein to the dish, and the vegetables tie it all together. Many people eat waakye with just stew. However, waakye is a dish that when a lot of elements are added to it becomes a more enjoyable experience culturally and cuilnarily. This makes the dish an absolute pleasure to eat.
About Me
Seyeats, is a passionate food aficionado and blogger, With an insatiable love for all things food-related, she delves into the world of flavors, crafting incredible recipes that span the globe.
