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+ servings

Waakye

Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: African
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Passive Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 292kcal
Simple, savory, and tender rice and beans cooked together
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup black-eyed peas or cow beans
  • 5 dried sorghum leaves
  • 3.5 cups water
  • 1 cup white rice jasmine or basmati
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • sea salt to taste

Instructions

Soaking the Beans

  • Add black-eyed peas to a bowl and pour in enough water to cover the beans by about one inch. Soak beans in water overnight. They should absorb most of the water and double in size to be plump and slightly softened.

Cooking the Waakye

  • Rinse sorghum leaves, beans, and rice, keeping them all separate. Add rinsed leaves to a small saucepan over medium heat then pour in 3.5 cups water.
  • Bring water to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes to allow water to take on more color from leaves.
  • Remove sorghum leaves from water and raise heat to medium. Add in beans, baking soda, and sea salt and stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until beans have softened further and taken on some of the color.
  • Add rice to pot, cover, and continue to cook about 30 minutes or until water has dissipated and both rice and beans reach your desired texture and color.

Notes

Do I have to soak beans for waakye? For the best texture, you should soak the dried black eyed peas in water overnight. They should absorb most of the water and double in size to be quite plump.
How to store cooked waakye? Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It will keep for about five days
Can I freeze it? Yes! Waakye will keep for up to six months in the freezer when stored properly. I recommend dividing into serving size portions and freezing in airtight containers or freezer bags for easy reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg