Showing posts with label Waakye. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waakye. Show all posts

Friday, 30 October 2020

HOW TO PREPARE THE PERFECT WAAKYE TUO RECIPE



Imagine having a ball of Rice with Groundnut soup and a side of boiled Beans. Now imagine having both the Rice and Beans infused with the super healthy Sorghum leaves as a ball with the same soup. Similar flavours but cooked differently. 
To make this innovative dish which is a first by the way (you heard it here first), you’ll need the following ingredients;

INGREDIENTS 
300g of Black Eyed Beans
200g of Jasmine Rice or any Rice with a high starch content.
700ml of Sorghum infused Water
Half a teaspoon of Bicarbonate Soda or Kaun
Salt to taste

SORGHUM WATER RECIPE



To make the Sorghum Water
6 strands of Sorghum leaves
1 litre of Water

METHOD 
To prepare this delicious Waakye Tuo or Balls below;


Please don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments and share.
All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

JERK CHICKEN RECIPE

The thought of a perfectly spiced, moist and tasty Jerk Chicken to accompany my left over Waakye, had me salivating as I kept walking faster to complete my 7.8km walk on Saturday. I kept my cheeky smile knowing I will head home to treat myself.  With each quick step I imagined my first bite into the Chicken, savouring of the flavours and deciding on whether to go for the legs, thighs, drumsticks or  wings'?. The decision was made when I saw the Chicken legs at my local butchers. I needed to get some soil from the Garden centre (to plant some herbs), however I drove past the centre consumed with excitement to start cooking.


 

I believe in the act of rewarding oneself, especially in the most trying of times. I've taken to walking as a form of exercise, escapism and to rejuvenate thyself.

 After each walk I find myself being more creative with recipes than ever coupled with a great sense of exhilaration. 

I had a great chat with my butcher and purchased a few Chicken legs and Wings and drove home happy with my purchases.
Looking into my spice larder, I started assembling my ingredients for the Jerk marinade. 
Anyway, enough of my dreamy imagination lets start cooking...



 Watch my Instagram stories about my Saturday morning walks. Follow 'Ndudu by Fafa' on Instagram.

 

Ingredients 
Marinade
30g of peeled fresh Ginger
1 Scotch Bonnet chilli
1 tablespoon of All spice berries
1 large clove of Garlic 
1 tablespoonful of black peppercorns
1 tablespoonful of dark brown Sugar
Half a teaspoon of ground Cinnamon 
Half a teaspoon of ground Nutmeg 
1 teaspoon of salt
35ml of dark Soy sauce
Juice and zest of 2 Limes
30g of fresh Thyme
70g of chopped Spring Onions 

6 Chicken legs


 




Best to use Free range or Organic Chicken.
Depending on how hot you want your Jerk sauce, you can double the chilli quantity. 
Personally, I preferred using just 1 (to enable the other flavours of herbs and spices to come through). Traditionally , Jerk Chicken is served with Rice and Peas (in effect Rice and Beans)which is similar to the Ghanaian 'Waakye'. Read more..

 

METHOD
Place the Chicken legs into a bowl with a lid and pour the marinade over it. Mix everything together, cove with the lid and leave it to marinade for a minimum of 24hrs or better still 48hrs.


READY TO COOK
Remove the Chicken from the fridge to come to room temperature, whilst you heat your oven grill to 180*c
Transfer the Chicken and marinade into a baking tray. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and grill for 30-40 minutes.

TIP
Baste the Chicken with its sauce every 10 minutes until cooked.

Once cooked, remove the Chicken from the oven and leave it to rest for 5-6 minutes.

 
Serve with rice and beans (Waakye), Green salad and some of the Jerk juice. 
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.  
Watch the full video on how to make the Jerk Chicken on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 





Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't forget to subscribe and share.




Monday, 15 August 2016

DECONSTRUCTED BAKED WAAKYE


Serves 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1hr

Waakye

Ingredients; 
600g black-eyed beans soaked overnight 
800ml of water
300g of washed brown Ghanaian rice,
1 teaspoon of salt
600ml of coconut milk.
3 tablespoons of Coconut oil
3 tablespoonfuls, of blended green chillies and shallot paste (Blend 10 green chillies and 1 large shallot together). 




Method;
In a clay or casserole pot, add the soaked beans, 800ml of water and place on a medium heat. 
Cook the beans for 25 minutes and pre heat your oven to 200*c
Add the washed brown rice, coconut milk, coconut oil, chilli paste, salt and pepper. Mix everything together, cover with the lid and place in the pre heated oven for 25-35 minutes. 

Tip:
You can add Kaun (edible potash) to the beans for a quicker cooking time. 



Baked Lamb

Prep time: 25min
Cooking Time: 1hr 30 min

Ingredients

1kg shoulder or leg of arm, cut into chunks. 
3 cloves of Garlic
10 green chillies. 
2 Onions
30g of Ginger
Cumin seeds
Shrimp stock cube
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200*c
Blend the Garlic, Ginger, Chillies, Onions, Cumin seeds and shrimp stock together to as paste. 
In a bowl, marinade the Lamb with the spice mix for at least an hour. 
Transfer the Lamb to a clay pot or casserole dish, cover with its lid and bake for about an hour and a half. Separate the meat and stock and set aside. 



Waakye Stew

Prep time: 25min
Cooking Time: 42 min 




Ingredients

1kg of blended tomatoes 
125g of Tomato purée mixed with 150ml of water to a smooth paste. 
Blend 1 shallot and 10 green chillies together
Blend 1 shallot, 2 cloves of garlic and 30g of Ginger together
2 large sliced Onions
1 large sliced onion set aside
150ml of Groundnut / Sunflower / Coconut oil
1 optional shrimp stock cube
20g of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Add the oil to a saucepan and place on a medium heat. 
Add the sliced onions and fry for 4 - 5 minutes.  
Add 3 tablespoons of the green chilli paste and the Ginger mix together. 
Fry for about 5-6minutes, until it turns into a marmalade texture. 
Add the tomato purée and cook till it turns into a paste. This should take about 5-6 minutes. 
Add the blended tomatoes and shrimp stock. Stir till well combined; reduce the heat to a low setting and cook for 25 minutes, by which time the sauce has reduced by half. 
Add the Lamb stock and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn the heat off; add the sliced onions and coriander. Stir and set aside. 

Tip:
Cook for a further 15 minutes, constantly stirring, if you want a darker and richer sauce. 


Fried Fish

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients; 

8 mediums sized (Sea Bream/Red Snapper/Sea Bass) cleaned, gutted and cut in half, by your fishmonger. 
Flour
1 litre of Sunflower oil
Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

Method
Tip: For a crispy skinned, fried fish, wipe the fish with a kitchen paper towel (to get rid of any moisture), add salt to the skin and leave to rest for 5 minutes before frying. The use of flour also helps with achieving a crispy-fired fish. 
Add the oil to a frying pan or wok and place on a medium heat. 
Add the flour, salt and black pepper to a bowl and set aside. 
Test the oil is hot, by adding a tiny cube of bread; if the bread sizzles, the oil is ready. 
Toss each fish in flour, till it's completely covered (shake off any excess flour) and carefully drop it into the hot oil. (Please take all necessary precautions, when dealing with hot oil). 
Fry on each side for 3 minutes and remove it from the oil. Place the fish on a Kitchen blotting paper (to absorb any excess oil). 

Tip
Ensure the oil is hot at (180*c or 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for a crispy, perfectly fried fish. If the oil is too hot the fish will burn and if it's not hot enough it will absorb the oil. 


Basil oil




Ingredients;

300g of fresh basil
Half a teaspoon of Sauvignon Blanc vinegar or malt vinegar. 
Half a teaspoon of salt
500ml of olive oil, (please don't use extra virgin olive oil) as it has a stronger taste and might over power the basil. 

Method 


Wash your Basil under cold water. 
Boil your kettle with water and pour the hot water in a bowl. 
Dip the basil with stalks into the hot water for 30 seconds. 
Remove the basil from the hot water and quickly dip it into ice-cold water for about 2 minutes. 
Squeeze the water from the basil and place it in a blender. 
Add the oil, vinegar and salt 
Blend into a smooth mixture. 
Using a muslin cloth and a smooth colander, placed over a bowl, pour the basil mixture into the muslin covered colander. 
Leave it to gently strain (it can take up to 12 hrs) and discard the chaff. 
Pour your basil scented oil in a mason jar and refrigerate. 


Scented Gari Fortor

Ingredients 

200g of Gari
75 ml of cold water
50ml of the basil oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

In a bowl, add the Gari, salt, water and mix well. Add the basil oil, pepper and mix till well combined. 

Spaghetti (Talia)& Boiled Egg

Ingredients
100g of spaghetti
1 teaspoonful of salt
400ml of water

Method
Depending on the type of Spaghetti you purchase (dry or fresh), follow the instructions on the package. 
Place your egg in a saucepan, cover with water and cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on how you like your eggs cooked). The lesser time of cooking produces a runnier the yolk. 
Once your spaghetti is cooked, add a tablespoon of your Waakye stew and egg.  Mix till well combined and you're ready to serve. 

To serve; 

Serve in a banana leaf / plate or slate as below.


Enjoy!
All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 





Sunday, 24 May 2015

RICE AND BEANS RECIPE

'Waakye'is made from boiled black eyed beans and rice which is infused with millet leaves for its distinctive brown colour. The Carribeans have their version of 'rice and peas'.  Waakye is a popular street food in Ghana, that's readily available mid morning till lunch time. 
Waakye is usually served with a spicy slow cooked tomato sauce, black pepper sauce (Shito), Spaghetti tossed in the spicy tomato sauce, Gari (made from cassava) tossed in the spicy tomato sauce, fried fish, fried meat, Eggs, Avocado, green salad with onions and fried Plantain.



 It's rather a decadent and flavourful dish , which encourages indulgence, hence the varied toppings. 

Try making your own with this easy to follow recipe.


Serves 6

Ingredients; 
600g black eyed beans soaked overnight 
1.2 litres of water
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda (optional)
300g of washed basmati or long grain rice
1 teaspoon of salt
5 stalks of washed dried millet leaves ( this lends the Waakye a burgundy colour)
6 cleaned Waakye leaves for serving (optional)
You can get most ingredients from your local supermarket or specialist African grocers.

Soaked black eyed beans

Method;
Add the beans and water to a saucepan. 
Place the saucepan on a medium heat and cook the beans for 40 minutes or until el dente ( meaning the bean still has a bite).
(The beans needs to be el dente as it will cook further with the rice).

 Millet leaves 

Add the washed rice, millet stalks , bicarbonate of soda (optional) and salt. 
Cover the saucepan and bring everything to a boil. Once it's boiled , reduce the heat to a low setting, cover with a grease proof paper and the lid. 

Cook for a further 25 minutes and turn the heat off. 


Typically Waakye is served in leaves, which adds an aromatic flavour to the dish. 


This is a perfect family sharing dish which is best  eaten together from the same bowl or leaves. Best with an iced cold water and a slither of lemon . 

De constructed Waakye

Watch the full video for Waakye Fried Rice on my Youtube page, Ndudu by Fafa. Click on the link below,



All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.