Alkubus
Aperçu
Alkubus is a Hausa steamed wheat bread from Northern Nigeria, plain by design and made to be eaten with something else. It is soft, faintly sour from the yeast, and it holds its shape well enough to be cut into rounds or wedges. Its role on the plate is the role bread plays across the north: the thing that carries the soup. Alkubus is eaten most often with miyan taushe, the pumpkin and groundnut soup, and it also goes with agushi soup, vegetable soup, cabbage stew or a plain tomato sauce. That pairing with miyan taushe is the one Northern Nigerians name first. There are two ways to make it and they produce different things. Baked in a greased pan and topped with carrot and onion, it is a loaf to be cut and eaten in slices. Portioned into wrappers and steamed over boiling water, it comes out softer and denser, closer to a dumpling, and that is the method the recipe here follows. Steaming rather than baking runs through a great deal of Hausa cooking, from dambu to danwake to masa, and alkubus belongs to that family more than it does to any oven tradition.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Alkubus is documented as a Hausa preparation of Northern Nigeria, a leavened wheat dough that is steamed rather than baked, and is conventionally served with miyan taushe. Its earliest documented date is uncertain.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Mix the yeast with the warm water in a bowl and leave it to stand until it forms bubbles, which shows the yeast is active.
- 2
In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt, then pour in the yeast mixture and combine properly.
- 3
Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- 4
Scoop the batter into heatproof wrappers or small greased heatproof containers, dividing it into equal portions.
- 5
Bring water to the boil in a pot and lower the filled containers in.
- 6
Cook on medium heat.
- 7
Test with a knife or toothpick. When it comes out clean, the alkubus is done.
- 8
Serve with a soup or stew of your choice.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Nympha Nzeribe- The published method steams the batter in plastic bags, which is the common Nigerian practice for moi moi and alkubus alike. Heatproof bowls, ramekins or banana leaves do the same job without putting plastic into boiling water, and are the safer choice.
- Let the yeast go visibly frothy before it meets the flour. If nothing happens in ten minutes the yeast is dead and the alkubus will not rise.
- Do not overfill the containers. The batter rises considerably during steaming and will spill over.
- The baked version is a genuine alternative rather than a shortcut: pour the risen dough into a greased pan, top with sliced carrot and onion, bake, and cool completely before cutting.
- Miyan taushe is the pairing most associated with it. Agushi soup, vegetable soup and a plain tomato stew all work.
Questions fréquentes
What is alkubus eaten with?
Miyan taushe, the Northern Nigerian pumpkin and groundnut soup, is the classic pairing and the one most people name first. Beyond that it is served with agushi soup, which is the egusi melon seed soup, with vegetable soup, cabbage stew or a simple tomato sauce. It is plain on its own and takes its character from what it is served with.
Can I bake alkubus instead of steaming it?
Yes, and both are traditional. Baked in a greased pan and topped with sliced carrot and onion, it comes out as a loaf you cut into shapes once it has cooled. Steamed, it is softer and denser, closer to a dumpling. The steamed version is what this recipe makes and what is more commonly sold.
Is it safe to steam food in plastic bags?
It is very common practice in Nigeria for both alkubus and moi moi, and the bags sold for it are intended for the purpose. That said, heating plastic in boiling water is not risk free, and heatproof bowls, ramekins, foil or banana leaves all work perfectly well. If you use bags, use ones sold specifically for cooking rather than ordinary shopping bags.
Why is my alkubus dense and heavy?
The dough was under proved or the yeast was dead. Give it the full 30 minutes in a genuinely warm place, and check first that the yeast froths in the water before you add it to the flour. Overfilling the containers also produces a dense result, since the batter has nowhere to expand.
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I used small milk tins greased with a bit of vegetable oil because I didn't have heatproof wrappers. 15 mins steaming was exact, they came out so soft and fluffy o. My husband ate three with his miyan taushe. Simple and perfect recipe sha.
Shukran for the tin idea, sister. Reminds me of how my late mummy used to improvise when making treats for Ramadan here in Bo-Kaap. Tried your milk tin trick and 15 minutes was spot on, came out so light and fluffy! Perfect for dipping in a nice warm curry, just before we have our boeber.
chale finding the right wrappers here in the Bronx is a headache so i just used silicone baking cups inside my regular steamer pot. used gold medal unbleached flour instead of whole wheat. texture took me straight back home paa, super soft. just needed a little more than a pinch of salt for my taste oo.