Ghanaian Waakye

Name: Ghanaian Waakye
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: For the Waakye (Rice & Peas):; 2 cups long-grain white rice, washed until water runs clear; 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (or red kidney beans), soaked overnight; 6–8 dried sorghum leaves/stalks (available at African grocery stores) — OR 1 tsp baking soda as substitute for color (but sorghum is worth finding); 1 tsp salt; 1 litre water; Shito (Ghanaian Black Pepper Sauce) — makes a small jar:; 100g dried shrimp, blended to powder; 50g dried smoked fish, flaked; 1 whole bulb garlic, minced; 2 inch fresh ginger, minced; 8 scotch bonnet peppers, blended (seeds in for authentic heat); 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp tomato paste; 200ml vegetable or groundnut oil; 1 tsp salt; 1 seasoning cube; For Serving (assemble as many as you can):; 2 ripe plantains, sliced and fried golden; 4 hard-boiled eggs; Simple tomato stew (tinned tomatoes, onion, scotch bonnet, oil, seasoning); Boiled spaghetti, tossed in a little oil (optional but traditional)

A Ghanaian street food staple of rice and black-eyed peas cooked together with dried sorghum leaves — which turn the rice a deep burgundy-purple — served with a full ensemble of accompaniments: shito (black pepper sauce), stew, fried plantain, spaghetti, and a hard-boiled egg. A complete universe in a single styrofoam container.

⏱20 min prep 🔥50 min cook ⏰70 min total 🍽4 servings 📊medium

The Cultural Story

Waakye (pronounced "waa-chay") is Ghana's national street food experience — not a single dish but a complete meal system. The rice-and-beans combination appears in almost every West African cuisine: Senegalese thieboudienne, Nigerian jollof, Haitian rice and peas, Cuban arroz con frijoles. But waakye distinguishes itself through two things that exist nowhere else: the dried sorghum stalks that color the rice, and the elaborate set of condiments that transform a bowl of colored rice into an entire meal. The sorghum leaves — dried stalks of milo sorghum — are added to the cooking water and impart a vivid reddish-brown pigment (from the plant's natural tannins and anthocyanins) to both the rice and the black-eyed peas. The color deepens the longer the leaves cook, moving from burgundy to almost purple. This coloring is both aesthetic and traditional — waakye without the sorghum color is not considered authentic. The tannins also give the dish a slightly astringent quality that balances the richness of the accompanying stews. But the color is secondary to the ensemble. A properly assembled waakye is a feat of logistical generosity: a scoop of the colored rice and beans, then a ladle of stew (usually tomato-based with fish or beef), a spoonful of shito — the intensely dark, oily Ghanaian condiment of blended dried fish, shrimp, scotch bonnet, ginger, and garlic, fried in oil until almost black — a portion of fried ripe plantain, sometimes a length of boiled spaghetti (a colonial-era addition that has become completely normalized), a hard-boiled egg, maybe some gari (toasted cassava granules). It arrives packed tight in a black plastic bag or styrofoam container. Eating it is an act of navigation — finding each element, mixing them as you go, discovering how the shito heat builds over ten minutes. In Accra, waakye sellers set up before dawn. The best ones sell out by 9am. Regulars know their spots. A city's waakye hierarchy is serious knowledge.

Ingredients

For the Waakye (Rice & Peas):
2 cups long-grain white rice, washed until water runs clear
1 cup dried black-eyed peas (or red kidney beans), soaked overnight
6–8 dried sorghum leaves/stalks (available at African grocery stores) — OR 1 tsp baking soda as substitute for color (but sorghum is worth finding)
1 tsp salt
1 litre water
Shito (Ghanaian Black Pepper Sauce) — makes a small jar:
100g dried shrimp, blended to powder
50g dried smoked fish, flaked
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
2 inch fresh ginger, minced
8 scotch bonnet peppers, blended (seeds in for authentic heat)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
200ml vegetable or groundnut oil
1 tsp salt
1 seasoning cube
For Serving (assemble as many as you can):
2 ripe plantains, sliced and fried golden
4 hard-boiled eggs
Simple tomato stew (tinned tomatoes, onion, scotch bonnet, oil, seasoning)
Boiled spaghetti, tossed in a little oil (optional but traditional)

Instructions

1Cook the beans: Drain the soaked black-eyed peas and add to a pot with 500ml fresh water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until about halfway tender. Do not fully cook yet.
2Add rice and sorghum: Add the washed rice to the pot with the partially cooked beans. Add the dried sorghum stalks (or baking soda if substituting), salt, and enough water so the liquid sits about 2cm above the rice. Stir once.
3Cook waakye: Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the lowest heat and cover tightly. Cook undisturbed for 20–25 minutes until rice is cooked through and all water is absorbed. Remove sorghum stalks. The rice should be stained a deep reddish-brown. Fluff gently with a fork.
4Make the shito: Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add onion and fry until deep golden, about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger — fry 2 more minutes. Add blended scotch bonnet and fry, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes until the oil separates and the mixture darkens significantly. Add dried shrimp powder, smoked fish, tomato paste, seasoning cube, and salt. Stir everything together and cook on low heat for another 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very dark, almost black, and the oil rises to the surface. This is shito. It keeps refrigerated for 3 weeks.
5Fry the plantains: Slice ripe (very yellow-black) plantains into diagonal coins 1.5cm thick. Fry in shallow oil over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden and caramelized. Drain on paper towels.
6Make a quick tomato stew: Blend 4 tomatoes with 2 scotch bonnets and 1 onion. Fry 2 tbsp oil with chopped onion, add the tomato blend, season with a cube and salt, and cook down for 15 minutes until thick.
7Assemble: Spoon waakye into bowls or plates. Add a ladle of tomato stew alongside the rice. Add a few plantain pieces. Halve or quarter a hard-boiled egg. Add a generous teaspoon of shito — it is very hot, so start cautious. Add spaghetti if using. Eat everything together, mixing as you go.
8Waakye is designed to be eaten messy. The shito heat builds slowly over the meal. The fried plantain sweetness cuts through. The egg rounds everything out. Eat with a spoon or your right hand.

Cook this with the full experience

Join FlavorBridge to explore authentic recipes from cultures around the world — with comments, ratings, and the stories behind every dish.

Open Interactive Recipe →