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Funkaso
Fermented wheat pancakes
Hausa fermented wheat pancakes for Ramadan breakfast and Sallah mornings
Funkaso is a Hausa pancake from northern Nigeria, made from a wheat batter left to ferment until bubbly and fried into soft, spongy rounds with crisp edges. Families cook stacks of it for the pre-dawn sahur and the evening meal during Ramadan, and again on Sallah morning for visitors. It is eaten simply, sprinkled with sugar, or dipped in a hot pepper sauce, with hot kunun or tea. Chef's tip: the batter should be as thick as double cream; too runny and the pancakes spread thin and lose their spongy middle.
- Total time
- 480 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain wheat flour
- 1 ½ tsp instant dried yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- ½ cup vegetable oilfor frying
To serve
- 4 tbsp sugar or pepper sauce (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk the 10 ½ oz plain wheat flour, 1 ½ tsp instant dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the 1 ½ cups lukewarm water gradually, whisking until smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon.
5 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 6–8 hours, or overnight in a cool room, until the batter has doubled, is full of bubbles and smells pleasantly sour.
420 minStep 3: Stir the batter down gently; it should still be thick and pourable.
2 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp of the ½ cup vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in a ladle of batter and let it spread by itself to about 14 cm. Fry for 2–3 minutes until holes form on top and the underside is deep golden, then flip and fry 2 minutes more. Add more oil for each pancake. A common mistake is a pan that is too hot, which browns the outside before the middle sets.
25 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper. The pancakes are done when springy when pressed and no wet batter shows at the centre. Serve warm with sugar or pepper sauce.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does funkaso take?
- About 480 minutes in total: 450 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.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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