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Waakye
Rice and black-eyed beans cooked with sorghum leaves until a deep reddish brown, Accra's breakfast
Waakye (say 'waa-chay') came south from the Hausa communities of northern Ghana and is now Accra's favourite breakfast and lunch, sold from big pots wrapped in leaves at roadside stalls before most offices open. Rice and black-eyed beans are cooked together with dried sorghum leaf stalks (waakye leaves), which dye the pot a deep reddish brown and add a faint earthy note. A full plate comes loaded with shito, gari, spaghetti (talia), salad and fried plantain. Chef's tip: cook the beans almost soft before the rice goes in; beans and rice finishing together is the whole trick.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz dried black-eyed beans and 6 dried waakye leaves (sorghum leaf stalks) (or ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda) in a large pot with 1.5 litres of water. Boil over a high heat, then simmer over a medium-low heat until the beans are nearly soft and the water is a dark reddish brown.
35 minStep 2: Lift out the leaves and squeeze them over the pot to get the last of the colour out, then discard. Measure the liquid: you need about 900 ml above the beans, so add hot water or pour some off.
Step 3: Stir in 14 oz long-grain rice and 1 ½ tsp salt, bring back to a simmer, then cover tightly and cook over a low heat until the rice is tender and the water absorbed.
20 minStep 4: Check the rice: if it is still firm, sprinkle with 4 tbsp hot water and cover for 5 minutes more. A common mistake is using too much bicarb as a stand-in for leaves; it turns the beans mushy and soapy, so keep it to a pinch.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
10 minStep 6: Serve with a sprinkling of 2 ⅛ oz gari (toasted cassava granules), 4 tbsp vegetarian shito or chilli oil and your choice of fried plantain, salad and boiled spaghetti.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does waakye take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of long-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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