MASA (Rice Crumpet)

Masa is an African crumpet originating from the Hausa tribe. Masa is  made from rice, which is fermented and fried. 

I first tasted Masa during my childhood when we hosted a family from the Hausa tribe. I loved the sweet and sour taste of this crumpet. I spoke to my Mum who gave me a sketchy recipe and my hairdresser (Hajia Fulera) for an authentic recipe. 

I have a Masa recipe already on my blog, where I added Yoghurt and the batter was lighter. 

This recipe is perfect for your Hors d'oeuvre or canapés. 

Personally, I think African ingredients are under rated as most African dishes are Gluten free , fresh, natural and nutritious. This morning, my mission was to incorporate a bit of Africa to my breakfast, so instead of normal pancakes I made 'Masa'. 

A lot of work, creativity, passion and research goes into perfecting a recipe, verifying the recipe and writing about it, as such, I love to hear your feedback.

  Ensure you try the recipe, share the page and leave a comment about your experience. This helps educating the world about African cuisines. 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

150g of uncooked rice soaked overnight or 150g of rice flour.

150g of cooked rice 

1 tablespoon of Sugar

1 teaspoon of dry yeast

Half a teaspoon of salt

120ml of lukewarm water

Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda or Kaun (edible potash)

Mushroom mix

Tip;

You can use any mushroom that's available. 

100g Enoki mushrooms

80g of Shimeji mushrooms

1 finely diced Banana shallots

2 finely sliced Garlic

1 deseeded and finely diced green chilli

Half a teaspoon of olive oil 

10g of fresh Thyme (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Egg filling

3 hard boiled diced eggs

1 teaspoon of English mustard

1 tablespoon of grated fresh Turmeric or half a teaspoon of dry Turmeric

1 teaspoon of grated Ginger

1 tablespoon of olive oil 

1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar (you can use malt or white vinegar). Alternatively use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. 

1 teaspoon of honey 

1 teaspoon of chopped chives or finely diced spring onions 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method;

Mix the lukewarm water in a cup with the yeast, sugar and Edible potash (Kaun) or use bicarbonate soda . 

Leave in a warm place for 12-15 minutes ( until it's frothy ). The timing might take longer during this cold period. 

Tip;

I warm my oven up and open the door. I leave the yeast mixture on top of the door for 15 minutes. 

In a blender add the cooked rice, uncooked rice and the yeast mixture. Blend till you have a thick silky smooth paste. 

Tip

It's imperative to use a very good blender (Vitamix) for the silky smooth texture. 

Alternatively use rice flour.

Leave the paste in a warm place for fermentation. The paste will rise with loads of bubbles.

Let the paste rise for about 10-13hrs and collapse. 

Once it's collapsed, you can add an optional (extra teaspoon of sugar) and stir. 

Place a frying pan on a medium heat. Spray with oil, scoop a tablespoon of the batter (form a nice disc) and fry for 1 minute on each side . 

Tip;

Let the batter brown perfectly before you turn it over. The batter is ready to turn when it comes off easily from the frying pan. 

Alternatively, scoop a ladle of batter to the frying pan for a large pancake size. 

Repeat this process until all the batter is fried and set aside. 

Mushroom mix

Using the same frying pan, add the teaspoon of Olive oil . 

Add the diced shallots and diced green chilli. Fry for 2 minutes on a medium heat. 

Add the Garlic and fry for 30 seconds (avoid burning the garlic)

Add the mushroom, toss the mixture together and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. The mushrooms will soften within 3 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 

Egg filling

In a bowl add the grated Turmeric (dry turmeric), grated Ginger, Mustard, Vinegar, Honey, Olive oil, Salt and Pepper. 

Mix everything till well combined. Add the diced eggs , mushroom mix, chives and mix well. 

To serve

Top each Masa with a tablespoonful of the egg mixture and serve. 

Alternatively , serve in a large plate for as a sharing platter. 

Serve with a chilled smoothie of Pineapple and Ginger. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.