Waakye (Rice and Beans)

Name: Waakye (Rice and Beans)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ghana
Ingredients: 2 cups rice, washed; 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked; 4 dried waakye leaves (or 1/2 tsp baking soda as substitute); 4 cups water; 1 tsp salt; Shito (pepper sauce), for serving; Fried plantain and gari, for serving

6 servings15 min prep50 min cookEasy Ghana

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Waakye (Rice and Beans)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Waakye, rice and beans cooked together with dried millet or sorghum leaves (which give it a distinctive reddish-brown color), is a staple of northern Ghanaian cuisine that spread south to become a beloved national dish, especially popular as a hearty breakfast or lunch sold by street vendors across Accra and beyond.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 cups rice, washed
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked
4 dried waakye leaves (or 1/2 tsp baking soda as substitute)
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
Shito (pepper sauce), for serving
Fried plantain and gari, for serving

Instructions

1Boil the soaked black-eyed peas with waakye leaves (or baking soda) in water until the beans are tender and the water turns deep red, about 30 minutes.
2Remove the leaves, then add the washed rice directly to the bean cooking liquid.
3Add salt and more water if needed to cook the rice through.
4Cover and simmer 20 minutes until the rice is tender and reddish-brown.
5Fluff with a fork and serve with shito, fried plantain, and gari.

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