How to make Masa (waina)

The popular Northern Nigerian meal “Masa” popularly called Waina in Hausa, is a meal made from rice.

This fluffy rice delicacy is also known to be a rice cake as it is prepared with blended rice,baking powder and with little oil. With rice and only a few other ingredients, this dish is easy and inexpensive to prepare. It is nutritious, delicious, and filling, and its fluffy goodness can be enjoyed alone or paired with a sauce.

It is one traditional meal that is prepared with a special pan which we refer to as the Masa Pan. That is made with small units which is more than one so that not only one masa is prepared at a time but several of them.

The recipe below gives you the authentic northern Nigerian masa, and here is how to make it.

Ingredients in making masa

• 2 cups of rice
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• salt to taste

Cooking procedure

1. Soak the rice for 8 hours or overnight (for the best result in making a smooth consistency texture when grinned)
2. Sieve the soaked rice and wash it properly, then blend the rice . Add water to the rice while blending to achieve a creamy consistency (but make sure it doesn’t become watery). Don’t worry about making it a fine blend; it should have a little grainy feel to it.
3. In a small bowl, proof the yeast by mixing it in warm water and sugar. Leave it for a few minutes.
4. In a very big bowl, mix the blended rice with the yeast and optional baking powder. Cover it and let it rest for 6-8 hours. (The reason for using a big bowl is to avoid spillage. The mixture should rise quite a bit and then fall during the course of the 6-8 hours.)
5. After 6-8 hours, add a pinch of salt and stir. Check for taste; ensure that it’s sweet enough for you. You can add more sugar if you like.
6. Put a little oil in a pan or skillet. Pour in a portion of the rice mixture. Let it cook for a few minutes; then turn it over to the other side. The procedure is the same as making pancakes. The rice cakes should come out fluffy and light, like pancakes.

Best severed with traditionally made peanut soup