Waakye (pronounced "waa-chay") is one of Ghana's most-loved dishes — rice and beans cooked together with dried waakye leaves (or stems) until the grains take on their signature reddish-brown color. It's breakfast, lunch, and street food all at once, usually served with a spread of shito, gari, spaghetti, boiled egg, and a splash of stew. Here's how to make it at home.
What You Need
- 2 cups rice (sona or a similar long-grain rice)
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas or brown beans, soaked
- A handful of dried waakye leaves/stems, or 1–2 tablespoons waakye leaves powder if leaves aren't available
- Salt, to taste
- Water
Step 1: Cook the Beans First
Boil the soaked beans in plenty of water until they're just starting to soften — usually 30–40 minutes. Keep the cooking water; this is what gives waakye its color and flavor once the leaves are added.
Step 2: Extract Color From the Waakye Leaves
If using dried leaves or stems, boil them separately in water until the liquid turns a deep reddish-brown, then strain out the leaves and add the colored liquid to your beans. If using waakye leaves powder, dissolve it directly into the beans' cooking water — it's a faster route to the same color and flavor without needing to source and boil the leaves.
Step 3: Add the Rice
Once the beans are tender and the water has taken on its color, add the rice directly into the same pot. Add more water if needed so the rice has enough liquid to cook through, season with salt, cover, and simmer until the rice is fully cooked and has absorbed the color from the beans and leaves.
Step 4: Serve
Waakye is traditionally served "full spread" style — with shito, fried plantain, gari, spaghetti, a boiled egg, and beef or fish stew on the side. For a shito pairing, see our red red recipe guide for another classic Ghanaian rice-and-beans-adjacent dish worth trying alongside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives waakye its reddish-brown color?
The color comes from dried waakye leaves (or sorghum/millet stems), which are boiled to release a natural reddish-brown pigment into the cooking water before the rice and beans are added.
Can I make waakye without fresh waakye leaves?
Yes — waakye leaves powder gives the same color and flavor as boiling fresh leaves and is easier to find and store for Ghanaians living outside Ghana.
What is waakye traditionally served with?
Waakye is typically served with shito (Ghanaian pepper sauce), fried plantain, gari, spaghetti, boiled egg, and a beef or fish stew, often called the "full spread."
