These quarantine days have turned a lot of us into every day cooks, searching for comfort, nourishment, and for some of us escapism. Until I’m able again to physically travel to savor another country’s cuisine, I find joy in remembering and recreating some of the most iconic dishes of my favorite destinations.
Rice and beans is a staple of many countries and a go-to dish in times like these, requiring only a few staple (and cheap!) pantry items. I recall some tasty versions from throughout the Americas, but it’s the Ghanaian take on it that has won my heart and will bring me warmth in the midst of this crisis.
They call it waakye (pronounced ‘waa-che’) in Ghana and it’s an incredibly popular breakfast. The best one you’ll ever eat can only be found in the streets of Ghana and each sellers has its own secret recipe – so no matter how much you try you’ll never be able to perfectly mimic it at home! Far more than just rice and beans, the dish here gets a ton of flavorful toppings, usually boiled spaghetti (talia); cassava flakes (gari), shito (a hot sauce); boiled eggs; fried fish/meat; and my favorite, fried plantains. You can see the final dish in the photo below which I took many years ago at my favorite waakye stall in Accra. That was some serious breakfast!
I didn’t quite pull off the whole meal and its myriad of toppings, but I found a solid base in Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen which succeeded in soothing my craving with minimal prep.
The only ingredient unlikely to be in anyone’s kitchen are the dried red sorghum leaves, often called waakye leaves. They are boiled with the rice and is what gives it its characteristic reddish color on top of considerable nutritional benefits. You can find them at African markets or online.
A traditional waakye is made with black-eyed peas, but since we’re trying to use up what’s in our pantry, any beans will do. I ended up mixing some black turtle beans with red kidney to great effect, and substituted brown rice for an healthier twist.
The leaves are inedible so don’t forget to take them out before eating. Have some hot sauce nearby and maybe fried plantains if you want to bring it to the next level.
An easy one-pot meal perfect for quarantine and to satisfy some of that wanderlust…
| Cuisine: | African |
| Yield: | Serves 6 as a side |
2. Wash the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear - I wash it at least 3 times - then drain.
3. Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the oil and onion and saute over a medium heat for about 3 minutes or until lightly golden.
4. Meanwhile, wash the dried millet or sorghum leaves, if using - swiftly because the color will start to run as soon as they get wet - and cut them into 3-4 inch pieces.
5. Add the rice, beans, leaves, chili and salt to the onions, tossing slightly. Stir in the measured water or stock (and the bicarbonate of soda if using). Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat. Leave to stand, covered, for 15 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
7. Garnish with the soft-boiled eggs, chives and green chili, if liked, and serve with hot sauce as a side to any meat or veg-based stew.
400g (14oz) medium or long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
3-4 dried millet or sorghum leaves, or 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 red Anaheim chili, or bird's-eye chili, thinly sliced
Sea salt
1 litre (1.75 pints) boiling water, or good quality chicken or vegetable stock
Garnish (optional)
2 soft-boiled eggs, shelled and halved
Small bunch of chives, finely sliced
1 green chili, finely sliced
