Waakye
A Ghanaian dish of rice and black-eyed peas cooked together with dried millet leaves that stain them a deep reddish-brown. It is served with spaghetti, fried plantain, stew, boiled eggs and spicy shito.
Waakye with vegetables, fish and egg with ripe plantains: daSupremo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Waakye comes from northern Ghana and is now a popular breakfast and lunch across the country, sold from street vendors and homes in leaf-lined bowls.
Explore the cuisine of Ghana.
Recipe
Make Waakye at home
Ingredients
- 1 cup black-eyed peas
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- dried sorghum or millet leaf sheaths (or 1 tsp baking soda)
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 cups water
- 4 boiled eggs
- 2 ripe plantains, fried
- shito pepper sauce
- 1 cup cooked spaghetti
- gari for sprinkling
How it's made
- Soak the beans overnight and drain.
- Boil beans with the leaves in water for 30 minutes; the water turns reddish-brown.
- Add rinsed rice and salt, removing the leaves, and top up with water to cover by an inch.
- Cover and cook on low heat 20-25 minutes until tender.
- Fluff gently and serve with eggs, fried plantain, spaghetti and shito.
- Sprinkle gari over the top for crunch.
Variations
- Waakye with fish stew.
- Vegetarian waakye with avocado.
Cook’s tip: No leaves? A small pinch of baking soda gives a similar color.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Waakye with vegetables, fish and egg with ripe plantains: daSupremo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)