Ghanaian rice and beans (Waakye)

1. Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and rinse.

2. Bring the beans to the boil with the sorghum leaves and 1.5 litres of water and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes until almost tender and the water has turned reddish brown.

3. Rinse the rice in cold water and add it to the beans with the salt; add enough of the remaining water to cover by 2 cm.

4. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid; remove the leaves.

5. Meanwhile boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool in cold water and peel.

6. Pile the waakye on plates and serve with a boiled egg and a tablespoon of shito.

Tip: Waakye is Ghana's favourite street breakfast and lunch; the sorghum leaves give it its typical reddish-brown colour but hardly any flavour. If you can't find sorghum leaves, a quarter teaspoon of baking soda in the cooking water gives a similar colour. In Ghana it is also served with spaghetti, gari and fried plantain, but it is filling on its own too.