Thursday, April 14, 2011

Waakye with Fried Fish and Wele stew



This is not the first time I have made rice and beans, but I would just use regular black eyed peas/beans with white rice. It tasted good but could hardly be called Waakye. Last weekend I decided to go all out and make the kind of waakye I go out and buy almost everyday.

Here are my Ingredients:

4 cups Brown Rice
3 cups red beans
3 millet stalks
3 medium Tilapia (cut into 3 each)
1 pound of wele (cow skin) cut into sizeable pieces
8-10 medium sized tomatoes
2 medium sized onions
8 Peppers
Cooking oil
2 Maggi cubes
Salt
Black Pepper


I start by soaking the beans overnight. I find that it not only softens them and reduces cooking time, but it makes it easier to pick out stones and such, which I do and then put the beans on to boil.


You could also season the fish with some salt, black pepper and one Maggi shrimp cube and leave overnight, otherwise, you could just do that 10 to 15 minutes before you fry it.


Wash the millet stalks to remove any dirt or dust. Do this quickly since the colour starts to run as soon as they get wet. Cut them into lengths of 3 to 4 inches, toss them in with the boiling beans and allow then to cook together.


Pick through the brown rice if you have to. There are a few husks of rice that are better not found in the waakye as well as stones depending on how "brown" your rice is. I bought mine from a lady in Kaneshie market who had brown rice that had been picked as well as a cheaper version she said hadn't been picked. The price difference wasn't equal to the amount of work I saw looming ahead of me, so I chose the picked version.


Wash and drain your rice and add it to the beans as soon as they are cooked, add salt and some water if necessary and cook as you would cook rice.


Now as you may have noticed from the picture, I left the millet stalks in and cooked the rice with them in ... don't do that. It is easier to remove them before adding the rice than when they are cooked with the rice, as I found out the hard way.


Blend the tomatoes and pepper. Chop the onions and heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and start frying the onions.


When the onions turn translucent and just start to brown around the edges, add the tomato puree.


Add a Maggi cube some salt and cover for about 5 minutes to allow the tomatoes to cook.


Uncover and allow the sauce to simmer down and start to fry. Fry the stew till it is dry and almost sticking ...


... then add the wele and  a cup or 2 of water depending on how thick or tough your wele is. The tougher it is, the more water you will need. Cover and simmer on a low fire. when the stew thickens and the wele is the desired texture (a fork can go through), you don't want to over cook it as it will become a gooey gluey mess.


Heat 1/2 a cup of oil in a pan. When it is hot, lower the heat and gently place the fish into it making sure to space them enough that they don't touch. If they do, the will tear when you try to turn them. Fry each side for about 3 to 5 minutes.


Using a spatula or fork, turn the fish, if there is significant resistance leave it for a minute or so, then try turning again, when it is ready, it should turn easily. When it is evenly cooked, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue till all the fish is fried.
Serve the Waakye with the Fish and Wele stew. Enjoy!!



16 comments:

  1. Wow, this is a nice piece of work done by my own Madam.

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  2. Great instructions and pictures! Normally I find brown rice to be a bit tough..was the waachie still soft even using brown rice? I will have to try this..healthy version too!

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  3. Thanks for the comments sparrow and anonymous.
    The rice wasn't tough, but I did get a few comments from some of my 'tasters' saying that waakye needs to be soggier, and not as seperate as I had it. But I think that is purely up to the individual. Let me know how yours turns out.

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  4. Chef lady, your instructions about the food preparations are very Guidable and simple. I am sure anyone who sees this, will wish to learn and do it for their healthy and pleasure as well just like u.
    Rachel

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  5. Thank so much Rachel, you made my day

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  6. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PREPARE WAAKYE WITHOUT THE MILLET STALKS??.....BECAUSE I CNT FIND ANY AROUND....I LIVE IN POLAND

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  7. Yes you can prepare it without the millet stalks. the stalks just add the lovely colour, and up until I made this waakye, I never really bothered with them. Good luck and let us know how it turns out :)

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  8. Ahaaaa!!! This girl can combine. Thank you Thank You Thank You. I just learnt to make Palm soup. Now I can go deep. Waakye, aponkyi, fish and stew with a small glass of akpet! This weekend is going to be wild. I will not go anywhere.

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    Replies
    1. Hahahaha you had me on the floor with your comment. Akpet paaaa, you are wild! lol but I'm so glad to see such an avid apreciator of food :) you made my day, thanks :)

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  9. it looks so simple,i did know waakye prepration was so easy and interesting to prepare

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    Replies
    1. It is easy, isn't it. Next to conquer is kenkey lol

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  10. Wow. i just found your page and I'm in love with all your recipes.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Try them out and let me know how it goes :)

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  11. Fuseini, do have a page I can go to get more recipes? My dish hasbeen one way and I need some changes

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  12. Fantastic...in JA,...dis ah-di-bomb !

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  13. Fantastic...in JA,...dis ah-di-bomb !

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