How to Perfect the Recipe for Waakye – Traditional Ghanaian Street Food

Lots of people sometimes find a country’s food gems by looking at the rich complexity of its amazing culture.
For the nation of Ghana, “Waakye” is one such food treasure; it is a tasty and colorful street meal that perfectly reflects Ghanaian cuisine.
Amazing Ghanaian cuisine known as waakye not only pleases the palate but also illuminates the culture of Ghana.
It has the ideal blend of components and is historically grounded.
Below is an instruction manual to guide you through the process of cooking this adored waakye.

What Makes Waakye Waakye
Waakye, called “wah-chay,” is a nourishing meal that shows how well rice and beans go with one another.
Waakye is defined by its evident red color, which is the result of the rice and beans being cooked with millet or sorghum leaves, which give the cuisine its colorful appearance.
Waakye uses spices to demonstrate Ghana’s huge range of cultures as well as to provide a feast for the eyes.

Ingredients Required To Cook Tasty Waakye
Get the following supplies before starting your path to Waakye mastery:

Black-eyed beans and parboiled rice combine to make the foundation of Waakye, which has a unique texture and nutritional profile.

Sorghum or millet leaves: These leaves are responsible for the dish’s characteristic hue. They give the rice and beans a lovely reddish-brown hue and subtly earthen flavor.

Baking soda: A dash of baking soda improves the dish’s texture while also softening the beans while cooking.

Plantain Leaves: When used as a natural food wrap, plantain leaves give the dish an enticing aroma and maintain its moisture.

Spices: Important spices like cloves, garlic, and ginger elevate the dish’s flavor profile by adding depth to the dish.

Fish and Meat: Waakye is typically served with fried fish, but you can add any type of meat or protein to make it more unique.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cooking Tasty Waakye
Black-eyed beans should be washed and soaked overnight. They get softer, as a result, cutting cooking time.

Rice should be parboiled until it is half cooked, drained, and then placed aside.

The soaked beans, parboiled rice, and millet leaves should all be combined in a big saucepan. Until the mixture is completely submerged, add water. Cook until the rice and beans are both soft.

Pound the ginger, cloves, and garlic into a paste with a mortar and pestle. For an aromatic boost, stir this mixture into the rice and beans as they cook.

Add water to a pinch of baking soda once it has been dissolved. The beans are further softer as a result of this.

Remove the millet leaves after the mixture has simmered to the right consistency, then mash some of the beans to get a thick, velvety consistency.

Plantain leaves can be prepared by briefly charring them over an open flame. They become more malleable and easier to wrap the Waakye.

For a truly Ghanaian experience, serve your waakye with fried fish, fried plantains, gari (cassava flakes), and a dollop of shito (a hot pepper sauce).

Take the Waakye Experience in advance
Cooking and eating waakye brings people from different tribes together to form a common friendship.

So gather your ingredients, add love to your creation, and enjoy the flavor of authenticity and tradition all wrapped up in a delightful banana leaf bundle.