Name: Rice and Beans (Waakye)
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Cuisine: Ghanaian
Ingredients: 1 (15.5-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and lightly rinsed or 1½ cups cooked black-eyed peas (for rice cooker recipe); or 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (for everyday recipe); ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 cup white rice (washed if necessary); ½ to 1 teaspoon baking soda (a full teaspoon will make it darker); ½ cup chopped onion

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Ghana Cookbook

By Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Baëta

Published 2015

About

Africa is home to both the legumes known as “cowpeas,” the most famous of which is the “black-eyed pea,” and a type of indigenous rice (Oryza glaberrima). The (Nigerian) Hausa word for “cowpea” is “wáákéé” or “wake,” and Hausa is spoken widely in northern Ghana. When rice is combined with wáákéé one has Ghana’s “waakye” (pronounced “WAAtchy”), a classic rice and beans dish that has spread throughout the country and beyond. It makes a great vegetarian meal