Nigeria is a basket full of mouth-watering and tantalizing cuisines and this is as a result of the diverse cultures that are blooming in the country over 371 ethnic groups each distinct from one another from clothes to food. Traditional food recipe is like an heirloom that is passed from generation to generation, keeping the yummy aspect of our cultures alive since what we cook and what we eat is like a map showing where we came from and who we are, and what ethnic group we belong to like when I see Amala the people that will come to mind is the Yoruba, Fufu the Igbo, Afie efere soup the Efik, Fura da Nono the Fulani.
The cuisine I will be talking about here is the heavenly Masa (Masa is like a pan-fried rice cake) which is a native food in Nigeria from the northern part of the country. In some parts of the northern state, it's called Waina. Masa is made out of Garin Masara (corn flour) or Farar Shinkafa (white rice) and it's mostly popular among the Hausa people. The method of preparing Masa varies e.g. as I stated earlier there is the Masar Garin Masara (corn flour Masa), Masar Garin Masara da Shinkafa (corn flour mixed with white rice Masa), and the Masar Shinkafa (white rice Masa) version.
Masa isn't a high-budget cuisine and this further accentuates the simple nature of the Hausa people. Masa goes well with sugar, Yaji (pepper), Kuli Kuli (powdered peanut chips), and MiyanTaushe (spinach soup). The Masa I am going to be teaching here is the Bauchi version of Masa called Masar Bauchi served with Kuli Kuli (powdered peanut chips). There are just a few ingredients needed in making the Masa paste and the Kuli Kuli which I will be listing below.
For the Masa paste
4 cups of white rice
Half cup of parboiled grain rice.
I Tbsp. of yeast
1 cup of sugar
I tsp. of salt
Dice onion
For frying
Masa pan
Oil
For the Kuli Kuli
Peanut chips
Garlic
Scotch bonnet
Dried ginger
Maggi cubes
Salt to taste
For the Miyan Taushe (Spinach soup)
Tomatoes
Scotch bonnet
Red bell pepper
Onions
Kabewa (Pumpkin)
Groundnut
Alayyahu (Spinach)
Meat Choice:
Beef
Chicken
Biscuit bone, though a while back there was an argument on the internet that its brisket bone was mispronounced as biscuit bone but upon looking at the definition of brisket bone it is entirely different from the biscuit bone, I know so yea it's still biscuit bone for me.
Salt
Maggi cubes
Manja (palm oil/red oil)
Without further ado, let's get down to the preparation. Wash your white rice to remove any dirt then soak overnight or for 5 hours I prefer soaking overnight because it makes the inside of the Masa white and fluffy. Cook your parboiled grain rice and allow it to cool entirely and mix it with your soaked rice and blend to a fine paste, the consistency should be that of a thick yogurt. Add your yeast and allow it to rest in a warm place for two hours. Then add the sugar, salt, and diced onions. Voila your paste is ready for frying.
Now this is one of my favourite parts guess what! Because it's the eating part did, I tell you when it comes to Masa, I am a foodie? Now Place your Masa pan on medium heat and add in oil wait until hot before you fill in the circles on the pan halfway, turn the Masa when bubbles start forming on the surface, apply oil around the Masa for easy turning and then turn the Masa when the bubbles fully formed on top, repeat the process until the paste finish. Voila your Masa is ready.
For the Kuli Kuli put your peanuts chips, garlic, scotch bonnet, ginger, Maggi, and salt together and grind to a coarse powder. This is how the Kuli Kuli should look like.
Masa and Kulu Kuli is ready.
For the Miyan Taushe (Spinach Soup)
Wash the meat and the biscuit bone and cook until soft. here comes the part I like the most, I can go throughout the whole day eating only biscuit bone that's how much I like it. Ok! Enough of me salivating don't forget to add in the seasoning to your taste, now grind the groundnut and keep aside, wash the spinach and the spring onions and cut them into tiny pieces, leave in a colander to strain. Peel the pumpkin and dice. Wash the tomatoes, scotch bonnet, red bell pepper, onions, and blend. Pour the tomato puree into a pot and the diced pumpkin and cook until the pumpkin dissolves. Fry the palm oil/ red oil with onion until it's slightly crispy remember to reduce your gas to low heat as palm oil/red oil can be choky when fry on high heat and you don't want people calling 911 on you thinking there is a fire in your house, so be careful with this step, add in the tomatoes and pumpkin puree and then the meat and biscuits bone with its stock, adjust the seasoning to your taste, add in the ground groundnut and allow it to simmer for one minute, then add in the diced spring onions, the spinach and allow it to simmer for another one minute, turn off the gas and your Miyan Taushe (spinach soup) is ready. Yummy!
Bon appetite!
Don't forget to try this at home and share it with your loved ones and have a taste of Hausa, Nigeria, and Africa. Remember any traditional cuisine you try, you are extending the lifespan of that culture's cuisine because you will be asked about the recipe and that person you told will tell another person, do you see where I am going with this? on this note, I draw the curtains, I had a great time putting this together and I hope you will have a great time making it and whenever you visit Nigeria or if you are already in Nigeria add Masar Bauchi to your taste list and I promise you wouldn't regret it.
