Waakye Recipe

Soak and prepare beans

Rinse the dried black-eyed peas under cold water, remove debris. Soak for 2–4 hours or overnight to shorten cooking time. Drain before cooking.

Parboil beans

Place soaked and drained black-eyed peas in a pot with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender but not mushy, about 20–30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Combine rice and beans

Rinse jasmine rice until water runs clear. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add rinsed rice and stir for 1 minute to coat. Add the cooked beans, the reserved bean cooking liquid, remaining water (to total about 6 cups of liquid for 3 cups rice + 1 cup beans), waakye leaves (or bay leaves), and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir once to combine.

Cook waakye

Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce to very low, cover tightly and simmer for 18–22 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid absorbed. Turn off heat, let steam with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove waakye leaves/bay leaf, fluff gently with fork before serving.

Prepare fresh ingredients

Roughly chop the onion and red bell pepper. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger. If using fresh tomatoes, blanch in boiling water 30–60 seconds, shock in ice water, peel and roughly chop. Alternatively, use canned tomatoes.

Blend tomatoes & peppers

In a blender, combine chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet (remove seeds for less heat), half the onion, garlic and ginger. Pulse to a coarse-smooth puree. Set aside.

Fry base onions

Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable or palm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onion and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown, about 4–5 minutes.

Cook the tomato mix

Carefully pour the blended tomato-pepper mixture into the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the raw tomato smell cooks off and the oil begins to separate from the tomato paste, about 20–30 minutes. If using tomato paste, add it halfway through to deepen color and flavor.

Season and add smoked fish

Stir in ground smoked fish (or flaked smoked mackerel) and ground crayfish if using. Add seasoning cube (optional), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes are very acidic. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes to marry flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Finish stew

If stew is too thick, add 2–3 tablespoons water and simmer 2 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm until serving.

Prepare gari base

Place 1.5 cups gari in a bowl. Sprinkle with 2–3 tablespoons water and squeeze 1/2 lemon or lime over it, then fluff with a fork until the gari is slightly softened but still granular. Let sit 2 minutes.

Mix in aromatics

Finely dice 1 tomato and 1/2 onion. Stir them into the gari with a pinch of salt and a little of the tomato stew (1–2 tablespoons) for moisture and flavor. Adjust to taste. Set aside to serve alongside waakye.

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cover; let sit 9–12 minutes for hard-boiled. Drain, cool in ice water, peel and halve when ready to serve.

Prepare salad

Toss mixed lettuce, sliced cucumber and tomato with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon or a light vinaigrette. Keep chilled.

Cook chosen protein

Prepare your chosen protein: grill chicken brushed with salt and pepper until cooked through (internal temp 165°F/74°C), pan-fry fish fillets until crisp and opaque, or pan-sear thin beef strips to desired doneness. Season simply to complement the stew.

On each plate, place a generous scoop of waakye (rice and beans). Spoon tomato stew over or alongside the waakye. Add a portion of gari foto to the side. Place half a hard-boiled egg and a serving of the protein on the plate. Add a small heap of salad, and a spoonful of shito (black pepper paste) for heat. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground smoked fish if desired.

Serve hot. Leftover waakye stores refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat covered with a splash of water to restore moisture.