Tuwo Shinkafa
Tuwo shinkafa is a dish unique to Niger and northern Nigeria. It consists of rice flour or soft, short-grained rice, and water. The ingredients are combined and cooked, mashed, and formed into large balls. It is often served as a side dish to various soups and stews.
The rice used for Tuwo Shinkafa should be the a soft variety that becomes sticky when cooked. This is so that the grains can be easily mashed to make a mass of fufu (tuwo). Usually Nigerians use local rice for this, but Arborio or glutinous rice works well for this recipe also.
Tuwo shinkafa is one of the most popular dishes in Nigeria. Check out other delicious dishes from Nigeria in our countdown of the most popular 20 local dishes.
Tuwo Shinkafa
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice short/medium grain (Arborio, glutinous)
- water enough to cook the rice until very soft and sticky
Instructions
- To start off, rinse the rice well and drain it of water well.
- Place the rice in a deep, sizeable pot to avoid it spilling over and add enough water to just about cover the rice.
- Place the pot on a medium heat and leave it to cook until the water dries up. Turn the heat down to low and check the rice by crushing a few grains between your fingers. If the rice is still hard, add more water to cover the rice and cook some more until the water has evaporated.
- Repeat the process until you get soft, mushy rice that break apart when squeezed between two fingers.
- When the rice is done, take a spatula or use the back of a large wooden spoon and mash the rice against the sides of the pot until the rice has formed a sticky dough-like consistency.
- Cover and leave it to steam for about 2 minutes.
- Mix thoroughly. Form the tuwo balls by wetting your hands and rolling a spoonful between your palms. If you're not serving them immediately, you can wrap them in plastic film to prevent them from drying out.
- Serve it with soup or your favorite dish and enjoy!
Notes
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