Tuwo Shinkafa (Nigerian Mashed Rice)
Photo: Bukky658, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tuwo shinkafa is a soft, smooth rice swallow from northern Nigeria, built from just rice and water. It is a staple of Hausa cooking, made to be pulled apart by hand and dipped into soups and stews. The key is short-grain, non-parboiled rice, which turns sticky when cooked and mashes into a cohesive dough. Patient mashing is the only real skill, and it pays off in a lump-free, springy texture.
Instructions
Wash the rice thoroughly in several changes of water, then drain it well.
Pour the water into a pot, using about twice the volume of the rice, and bring it to a boil.
Add the washed rice to the boiling water and lower the heat so it simmers gently.
Cook until the water has been absorbed and the rice is very soft and sticky. If the water runs out before the grains have softened, add a little more and keep cooking.
Mash the rice with a spatula, pressing out every lump, until it forms a smooth, soft dough. Thorough mashing is what keeps the finished swallow from being lumpy.
Scoop the dough into a bowl or other container and let it settle into that shape, or wrap portions in nylon. Serve hot alongside your choice of soup.
Make it personal.
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