Waakye & Trimmings

When I was in primary school until junior high, my mom sold food. During lunchtime I’d go home and prepare waakye that was to be sold to the mid afternoon /evening customers. My waakye recipe is bullet proof. Follow the recipe exactly as it says and you'd never be disappointed

Recipe

what you need 

1 1/2 cups beans

7 cups water

3 cups jasmine rice

Waakye/sorghum leaves

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1 star anise

Salt

Waakye stew

6 uncooked beef chunks with hide

1 large onion

1 sliced onion

Handful of scotch bonnet

1 small ginger

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon fennel

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 small star anise

Salt 

1/3 cup veg oil

1 small beef seasoning 

Combine all these ingredients for the mini Gari fotor

1/2 cup fari

3 tablespoon water

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of oil on the surface of stew

Directions

Put a pot on fire over medium high heat. Wash the beans and put in in the pot. Add 7 cups of water, the waakye leaves, baking soda and 1 star anise. Cook until the beans is halfway done and add the rice. Stir and add salt. The water left after cooking the beans is enough to cook the rice. Cook waakye, stirring occasionally until all the moisture evaporates then turn the heat to low until the waakye is done cooking.

Blend the onion, pepper, garlic, ginger and the dry spices. Divide the mixture into 2 and set aside. Wash and clean the beef and put into a pan over medium high heat. Add a 1/2 of the blended mixture and simmer for 10 mins then add the curry powder, beef seasoning, salt and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook until beef cooks through, about 45 mins to an hr. Remove beef from stock and save the stock.

In a hot pan add the vegetable oil and allow to heat up. Fry beef chunks until golden brown then remove from oil and set aside. In the same oil add the sliced onions and dried rosemary. Fry onion until it turns golden then add the tomato paste. Fry tomato paste for 10 mins stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Add the rest of the blended mixture and the saved stock and cook until the quantity reduces by half. Reduce heat.Add the turmeric and salt. Taste and adjust taste. Cook until stew thickens then add the fried beef.

Serve waakye with spaghetti, gari fotor, hard boiled egg, stew and shito. Shito must feature prominently or it isn't waakye.