Waakye

Waakye: Step by Step

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Rinse the sorghum leaves and simmer them in the 1.5 litres of water with the bicarbonate of soda for 15 minutes. The water will turn a deep red-brown.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Lift out and discard the leaves, keeping the coloured water.

   Mark done

3. Drain the soaked beans and add them to the coloured water. Simmer 40 minutes until nearly tender but still firm.

   Mark done

4. Add the salt and the rinsed rice. The liquid should sit about 2 cm above the rice — top up with hot water if not.

   Mark done

5. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to its lowest and cover tightly.

   Mark done

6. Cook 25 minutes without lifting the lid.

   Mark done

7. Take off the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

8. Fluff with a fork. The rice should be reddish-brown, dry and separate.

   Mark done

9. Serve with shito, gari, spaghetti (optional), plantain, boiled egg and stew, taken in whatever combination you like.

   Mark done

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Choosing rice.

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

What Can Go Wrong

1. The bicarbonate of soda is what draws the colour out of the leaves.
2. Part-cook the beans first so they finish with the rice.
3. Lid stays on for the full 25 minutes and the 10-minute rest.

Changing the Recipe

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.

The Short Version

The colour and the faint earthy flavour come from dried sorghum leaves, and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the water is what releases the pigment — without it the leaves give very little. The beans are part-cooked before the rice goes in so both finish at the same time.

To Go With It

Shito and gari · Fried plantain · A cold malt drink

Keeping Waakye

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered with a splash of water.

Quick Answers

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

Vegan when served without the boiled eggs. Gluten-free when served without the spaghetti.

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

5 stars★ 4 stars★ 3 stars★ 2 stars★ 1 star★

Your note

Save note

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.