Watché — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Southern Togolese one-pot rice and cowpea stew cooked in a deeply spiced tomato sauce with vegetables, served with gari and fried fish.

Ingredients

1 Boil soaked cowpeas for 30 minutes until half-tender, drain.
2 Heat oil in a large pot, fry onions until caramelized, about 8 minutes.
3 Add blended tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, ginger, garlic, and peppers. Cook 12 minutes.
4 Add par-cooked cowpeas and rice to the tomato sauce, stir to coat.
5 Add water to cover by 1 inch, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover tightly.
6 Cook 25 minutes without lifting lid until rice and beans are tender. Serve with gari and fried fish.

Did You Know?

Watché is the ultimate Togolese lunch dish — office workers, students, and market traders all queue at watché vendors for their midday meal.