Waakye – Rice and Beans with Peppered Garden Egg Stew
Ghanaian rice and black-eyed peas tinted naturally with beet, served with a peppered garden egg and tomato stew.
Waakye is Ghana's answer to rice and beans, traditionally colored a deep reddish-brown with dried sorghum leaves. This version reaches for grated beet instead, an easy swap that still gives the rice its familiar tint while adding a bit of extra nutrition to the pot.
Black-eyed peas cook right alongside the rice, so by the time it's done you've got a complete, plant-based main rather than a side dish. The peppered garden egg stew spooned on top is where the real flavor punch comes from: soft eggplant, tomato, onion, and scotch bonnet simmered down until thick.
Built entirely from rice, beans, and vegetables, this is a naturally vegan, plant-based African plate that's genuinely filling thanks to the fiber and protein in the beans. It also leans heart-healthy, since it's cooked with a modest amount of oil and no animal fat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, pre-cooked — or 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 1 small beet, peeled and grated — for natural color
- 3 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 garden eggs or eggplant, diced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced — to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- to taste salt
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Combine rice, pre-cooked black-eyed peas, grated beet, and water or broth in a pot; bring to a boil.
- 2Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender and tinted reddish-brown, adding water if needed.
- 3Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate pan and sauté onion until soft.
- 4Add diced garden eggs, tomatoes, scotch bonnet, and ginger; cook for 12-15 minutes until the eggplant is soft and the stew thickens.
- 5Season the stew with salt to taste.
- 6Serve the rice and beans topped with the peppered garden egg stew.