Pronounced “Wa-chee”, this rice and beans dish is the most popular street food in Ghana. It makes the perfect “fully loaded” plate when served with different accompaniments like fried plantains, meat, boiled eggs, or roasted vegetables. Waakye is also an incredibly popular breakfast in Ghana.

Waakye- Ghanaian Rice and Beans

This easily made dish is a wonderful way to add a little color, literally, to basic rice. The addition of sorghum to the cooking water give the dish its famous reddish coloring. This dish is perfect for a cookout, or like the do in Ghana, topped with boiled eggs and serve for breakfast.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Course: Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: African, Ghana, West Africa

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Soaking dry beans: 8

Total Time: 8 35

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Large bowl
Large pot

Ingredients

2 cups Rice, long grain
1½ cups Dried black-eyed peas (or kidney beans). Optionally 2 x 14oz. cans)
½ tsp Baking Soda
4 cups Water
6 sticks Sorghum stems or leaves (Waakye)
1 tsp Salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep – Soak dry beans in water to cover overnight. Optionally, drain canned beans. Rinse rice a few times in water.
Cooking – Boil water with sorghum for 15 minutes. Remove sorghum stalks. Add drained beans to water with baking soda and rice. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and cook until rice has cooked through an absorbed all the water, 15 – 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and season with salt. Place a paper towel or kitchen towel over pot, return cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Serve – transfer to a serving bowl and serve as a side or top with Kelewele (fried plantains), boiled eggs and/or spaghetti.