Ingredients
Rice
- 500 gshort-grain or broken rice, the soft starchy kind
Water
- 1.5litres, plus more as needed
Optional
- 3 tbsprice flour, to stiffen
- a pinch of salt
Equipment
- a heavy pot
- a strong wooden spoon or a masha, the flat wooden paddle
To serve
- miyan kuka, baobab leaf soup
- miyan taushe, pumpkin and groundnut soup
- or any draw soup
Directions
- Use a soft, starchy, short-grain or broken rice that breaks down completely. A long-grain rice that stays separate and fluffy is completely wrong here, because the rice must collapse into a smooth mass.
- Rinse it once, but do not wash the starch away thoroughly. Bring the water to a boil and add the rice. Cook it, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cook it well past the point of being done. The grains should burst open and start dissolving, which is exactly what you want.
- Add more hot water whenever it thickens too far. Once the rice is very soft, begin working it hard against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon or paddle. Press and stir vigorously, breaking down every grain. This takes real effort and several minutes.
- Keep working until there are no whole grains left and the mass is smooth and elastic. It should be smooth, thick and slightly stretchy, holding its shape when scooped but soft enough to swallow easily.
- Swirl it to make a smooth ball and turn it out onto the plate. Wetting the bowl is what stops it sticking, and it gives the smooth rounded dome that tuwo is served as.
- Serve it hot, with a bowl of soup alongside. Pinch off a piece with the right hand, roll it into a ball, and make a small dent with the thumb. Use that dent to scoop the soup, and swallow the whole thing without chewing. It stiffens as it cools and is best eaten hot.
Technique
- Tuwon masara is the maize version and tuwon dawa the sorghum one.
- Miyan kuka, baobab leaf soup, is the classic accompaniment.
- Broken rice is cheap and ideal for this.
Substitutions
- Any soft short-grain rice.
- Rice flour to stiffen it if the rice is not starchy enough.
Variations
- Tuwon masara, made with maize flour.
- Tuwon dawa, made with sorghum.
- Made stiffer or softer to preference.
History
Northern rice mash from Nigeria’s Hausa states, pounded soft and eaten with miyan kuka or draw soups.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tuwo shinkafa?
Tuwo shinkafa is a main from Nigeria: soft northern rice swallow for miyan kuka and other soups. Northern rice mash from Nigeria’s Hausa states, pounded soft and eaten with miyan kuka or draw soups.
How long does Tuwo shinkafa take to make?
Tuwo shinkafa takes 10 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Tuwo shinkafa?
Yes, within limits. Any soft short-grain rice. Rice flour to stiffen it if the rice is not starchy enough.
What is the most important thing to get right in Tuwo shinkafa?
Use a soft, starchy, short-grain or broken rice that breaks down completely. A long-grain rice that stays separate and fluffy is completely wrong here, because the rice must collapse into a smooth mass.
