Masa / Waina Recipe: How to make Hausa Rice Cake

Masa or Waina is a rice cake that is from the northern part of Nigeria and is traditionally eaten by the Hausa tribe.

Nigeria is a country with different cultures, traditions, people and with that comes assorted food, cooking method, and recipe.

The Northerners are known for their healthy and sumptuous meals and Masa is one of such meals.

Masa bauchi is the popular identity for every masa in the north; irrespective of the state or town.

It is used occasionally in ceremonial and festive periods and when combined with suya as snacks/appetizers, the result is simply AH-mazing!

Masa is a fermented puff batter of short-grain species of rice called tuwo rice/millet/ maize or sorghum that is cooked in a pan which usually makes it have the oval shape

The good thing about tuwo rice is that it tend to stick together with one another and retain moisture, unlike the conventional rice grains that tends to stay apart.

It reminds me so much of the Japanese sushi and rice cakes that are incredibly sticky and rice is the main ingredient.

And also Sinasir, a delicacy in Borno, Northern part of Nigeria which is a  white rice recipe fried like pancakes. Just like masa, it is made with the soft variety of rice, the type used for Tuwo Shinkafa.

Nigerian Masa Recipe

This recipe shows you how to make Hausa rice cake at home. Once you have the right kind of frying pan, you are good to go.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of tuwo rice
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar
• Teaspoon of yeast
• Tablespoon of oil
• Teaspoon of potash
• 50 ml of vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Masa baking pan as well as basic cooking utensils.

How to Make Delicious Masa

1. Firstly, get 3 cups of tuwo rice in a bowl. Divide into two equal parts. Then, wash the first part and soak in a bowl with potash.
2. Secondly, allow soaking for 8-10 hours. It is best if you soak it overnight.
3. Thirdly, wash and boil the remaining part of the tuwo rice with just water when you are ready to prepare the meal.
4. Fourthly, boil it until it is very soft. Then, go ahead and mash it to a pulp.
5. Then, mix the ground rice with the mashed rice together. Add sugar and salt to taste.
6. After that, add a teaspoon of yeast, stir and allow frothing for 30 minutes [The batter should be running not thick]
7. Grease your pan with vegetable oil and scoop your batter into the pan.
8. Lastly, allow cooking until it is golden brown. Turn the other side with a spoon and also observe as it cooks and turns golden brown.

This is how to make Hausa Masa; you can serve with Yaji (Hausa spiced ground pepper) or miyan taushe (Nigerian pumpkin soup).

Serve as a snack or as a breakfast cake

Variations

How to Make Nigerian Corn Masa?

• You can make Kokoro snack which is masa with corn in case you don’t want to make it with rice.

Nigerian Semovita Masa

• Semovita is a good alternative to rice masa especially if you cannot reach the ingredients immediately.
• Rice flour another substitute.