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Sinasir
Sinasir (masa biyu): spongy one-sided rice pancakes from Hausa kitchens in Northern Nigeria
Across Kano, Zaria and Niger, sinasir is a breakfast and snack food: a fermented rice batter poured into a small pan, covered and cooked on one side only, so the top stays soft and covered in holes like a crumpet while the base turns lightly golden. They are eaten warm with sugar, with groundnut oil and yaji, or alongside miyan taushe (pumpkin soup). Traditionally the rice is soaked and ground; this home version uses rice flour plus a little cooked rice for the same soft chew. The common mistake is flipping them: sinasir is meant to have a pale, holey top, so cover the pan and let steam cook it instead. Chef's tip: the batter is ready when it has doubled and looks bubbly; if it hasn't, give it longer rather than adding more yeast.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz rice flour
- 3 ½ oz cooked white ricecold
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbsp groundnut oilfor the pan
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Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 3 ½ oz cooked white rice with half the 1 ½ cups warm water until smooth.
Step 2: In a bowl mix 9 oz rice flour, 1 tsp instant dried yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp salt. Whisk in the blended rice and the rest of the water to a smooth batter like thick pouring cream.
Step 3: Cover and leave somewhere warm for about 2 hours, until doubled and bubbly.
120 minStep 4: Whisk in ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; the batter will foam up.
Step 5: Heat a small 15 cm non-stick pan over a medium-low heat and wipe it with a little 2 tbsp groundnut oil.
Step 6: Pour in a ladle of batter (about 80 ml), cover with a lid and cook for 3–4 minutes, without flipping, until the top is set, matt and full of holes and the base is golden.
4 minStep 7: Lift out and keep warm under a cloth while you cook the rest, oiling the pan each time. Serve warm with sugar, or with oil and yaji, or with soup.
26 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sinasir take?
- About 165 minutes in total: 135 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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