LounjeLounjePlan my week

Masa

Also known as Masa (Fermented Rice Cakes)

Masa is the quintessential Hausa breakfast rice cake that has been feeding Northern Nigeria for centuries. While closely related to Waina, Masa is prepared slightly differently — using a higher proportion of cooked rice blended into the batter which gives a softer, spongier interior and a milder flavour.

Masa, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 big cup of long-grain white rice, soaked overnight
  • 1 big cup of cooked day-old rice (this higher proportion of cooked rice makes Masa softer than Waina)
  • 1 teaspoon of instant dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • Half a teaspoon of salt
  • Water as needed
  • Vegetable oil for greasing the pan

Method

  1. 01

    Soaking and Blending. Drain the soaked raw rice. Combine with the cooked day-old rice in a blender. Add water gradually and blend until completely smooth. The batter should be thicker than Waina batter — more like thick porridge consistency.

  2. 02

    Adding Yeast. Stir in the yeast, sugar and salt. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1 hour until bubbly.

  3. 03

    Cooking. Heat the Masa/Waina pan over medium heat and oil each cup well. Pour batter three-quarters full into each cup. Cover and cook for 4 minutes until the base is golden and the top is almost fully set.

  4. 04

    Flipping. Flip each Masa carefully and cook the other side for 2 minutes. The finished Masa should be golden, soft and fully cooked — spongier and less crispy than Waina.

  5. 05

    Serving. Remove from the pan. Serve hot immediately with your choice of accompaniment.

More side dishes & swallows