This is the Bravanese (Brava, Somalia) take on the honeycomb rice cake that has different versions that are made all over Asia. It is sweet, soft and springy. The yeast gives it a spongy texture that lends it the ability to soak sauces.
The name comes from the deep dish it is served in. In some parts of Yemen, the word Maashara (معشرة) means a large bowl. In other parts of the Swahili Coast it is known as Mkate wa Siniyah. Siniyah (صينية) is another term for Maashara. It is also known as Mkate wa Kumimina. In Chimbalazi, the Swahili dialect spoken in Brava, Kumimina means to pour. This refers to the way the batter is poured into the wok when cooking the rice cake.
Mkate wa Maashara is the rich man’s Maanda. When the Bravanese want to impress their honoured guests, they serve them Maashara with the meat dishes. Maanda is made from corn, whereas the Maashara is made from rice which is a rarer commodity in Brava. That is why Mkate wa Maashara is also known as Mkate wa Mpuunga (mpuunga meaning rice).
Mkate wa Maashara is a good snack by itself, or it is paired with samosas when breaking the fast during the Ramadan.
C’est la version Bravanaise (Brava, Somalie) du gâteau de riz moelleux qui a différentes versions et qui vient d’Asie. Il est sucré, tendre et élastique. La levure lui donne une texture spongieuse et lui permet d’absorber les sauces.
Son nom vient du plat profond dans lequel il est servi. Dans certains endroits au Yémen, le mot Maashara (معشرة) signifie un grand bol. Dans d’autres parties de la côte Swahili, il est connu sous le nom de Mkate wa Siniyah. Siniyah (صينية) est un autre terme pour Maashara. Il est aussi connu sous le nom de Mkate wa Kumimina. En Chimbalazi, le dialecte Swahili parlé à Brava, Kumimina veut dire verser. Ce mot fait référence à la façon dont la pâte est versée dans le wok pour la cuisson du gâteau de riz.
Mkate wa Maashara est la version améliorée de Maanda. Quand les Bravanais veulent impressionner leurs invités d’honneur, ils leur servent Maashara avec des plats de viande. Maanda est à base de maïs, alors que Maashara est fait avec du riz ce qui est un produit rare à Brava. C’est pour ça que Mkate wa Maashara est aussi appelé Mkate wa Mpuunga (mpuunga veut dire riz).
Mkate wa Maashara est un snack en lui même, ou il peut être mangé avec des samosas pour la rupture du jeûne pendant le Ramadan.
Ingredients
3¾ cup (1 packet) Rice flour (not glutinous)
1 Egg
¼ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Cardamom (ground)
1½ cups Water
Yeast Mixture (recipe below)
Yeast Mixture
2 tbsp Semolina #1
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Instant dry yeast
4 tbsp (¼ cup) Water
Syrup
2¼ cups Sugar
2¼ cups Water
Yields 3 Maasharas
Waxa loo baahan yahay
3¾ cup (1 bac) Bur bariis (laga sameeyay bariiska ann isku dhegdhegin)
1 Ukun
¼ qy Qmiir(Baking powder)
½ qy Hayl (shiidan)
1½ koob Biyo
Cajiinka qamiirka (soo’da hoos ka-fiirso)
Cajiinka Qamiirka
2 qy Semolina #1
1 QW Sokor
1 QW Qamiirka rootiga
4 QW (¼ koob) Biyo
Sokorta La-Karkariyey
2¼ koob Sokor
2¼ koob Biyo
Yields 3 Maasharas
Ingrédients:
3 ¾ mesures (1 paquet) de farine de riz (pas gluant)
1 Oeuf
¼ de cc de Levure Chimique
½ cc de Cardamome
1 ½ mesure d’Eau
Mélange de Levure (ci dessous)
Mélange de Levure
2 cs de Semoule #1 (fine)
1 cs de Sucre
1 cs de Levure Sèche Instantanée
4 cs (1/4 de mesure) d’Eau
Sirop
2 ¼ mesures de Sucre
2 ¼ mesures d’Eau
Pour 3 Maasharas
Directions
Make the yeast mixture. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes. You can double the quantity and save it in the fridge for later use.
Cajiinka qamiirka diyaari. Dhig ha-qamiiro muddo 15 daqiiqo.
Faire le mélange de levure. Laisser reposer au moins 15 minutes. Vous pouvez doubler la quantité et garder au réfrigérateur pour l’utiliser plus tard.
1. Waxyaabaha cajiinka qamiirka 2. Waxyaabaha qalalan biyo ku-dar 3. Dhig muddo 15 daqiiqo
1. Ingrédients pour le mélange de levure 2. Ajouter l’eau aux ingrédients secs 3. Laisser reposer au moins 15 minutes
Combine the ingredients and mix the batter to the desired consistency.
Mélanger les ingrédients et mixer la pâte jusqu’à la consistance souhaitée.
1: Baaquli burka bariiska ku-shub. 2: Ukunta ku-rid. 3: Cajiinka qamiirka ku-dar. 4: biyaha tartiib tartiib ugu-shub. 5: si-fiican isku qas.
1. Mélanger les ingrédients secs 2. Ajouter les oeufs 3. Ajouter le mélange de levure 4. Ajouter l’eau 5. Battre
Let the batter ferment for three hours. You can refrigerate it for cooking the maashara the next day.
Cajiinka dhig ha-qamiiro muddo saddex saacadood. Qaboojiyaha ayaad gelin kartaa maalinta labaad ayaad samaynsan kartaa
Laisser la pâte fermenter trois heures. Vous pouvez la réfrigérer pour cuire le maashara le jour suivant.
Make the syrup and add it to the batter.
Faire le sirop et ajouter à la pâte
Left to right: Add the sugar to the pot; add the water and boil for 5 minutes; add ½ tsp of cardamom; add the cool syrup to the batter;
Sokorta digsi ku-shub, biyahana ku-dar. Kari muddo 5 daqiiqo, kaddibna dhig ilaa ay ka-qabowdo. Haylka shiidan cajiinka ku-dar, sokorta si-tartiib ugu dar adigoo qasaysa.
De gauche à droite: Verser le sucre dans la casserole; ajouter l’eau et faire bouillir pendant 5 minutes; ajouter ½ cc de cardamome; ajouter le sirop refroidi à la pâte;
After adding the cooled syrup, the batter will be very watery. That is the way it should be.
Markaad sokorta ku-darto caano ayuu u-ekaanaa.
Après avoir ajouté le sirop refroidi; la pâte sera très liquide. C’est comme cela qu’elle doit être.
Cook the batter as follows:
Cuire la pâte comme ceci:
1. Bir dab sare saaran, ku-shub 2 qaaddo saliid. 2. Saliidda markay aad u-kululaato, 2 koob cajiinka macsharada ku-shub. 3. Dab dhexdhexaad ah ku-kari muddo 1-2 daqiiqo. 4. Dabool, dabkana aad u-gaabi. 5. Kari muddo 20 daqiiqo ama ilaa ay ka-bislaato.
1. Sur feu fort, verser 1 cs d’huile dans le wok. 2. Verser 2 mesures de pâte quand l’huile commence à fumer. 3. Baisser le feu sur moyen et cuire 1 minute. 4. Couvrir et baisser le feu très bas. 5. Le Maashara sera cuit après 20 minutes.
Note: Vous pouvez aussi cuire le maashara au four à 350°F/180°C pendant 15 minutes.
Enjoy the Maashara!
Délectez vous avec Maashara!
Those pockets can soak up juices just like a sponge.
Ces petits trous absorbent les liquides comme une éponge.
If you don’t have a wok, use a frying pan. The Pan Maashara was great and was a hit with the kids.
Haddaadan qabin birta godan, haka welwelin. Nooca fidsan isticmaal.
Si vous n’avez pas de wok, utilisez une poêle à frire. Le Maashara à la poêle était très bon et a beaucoup plu aux enfants.
The pan maashara is an ideal accompaniment to samosas (sambuus)
Le maashara à la poêle est un accompagnement idéal des samosas
i love maashara and tried it but it was not successful. the water was not enough to make the batter like cake batter it was very thick..so i added extra water to make the consistency of a cake batter and when i added the syrup it became too watery…so i added little of rice flour until i got the desired consistency as shown on the pic…the end result was not anything close to maashara or the one on the pic
pls help…i want to do a successful one.
thank you…
btw i love this website….i really do
Thank you for your comment. We are happy that you tried to make maashara. The recipe has been tested several times and it has yielded the same result.
To solve your problem, check the following:
1- Use a measuring cup for measurements.
2- Buy non-glutinous rice flour from asian markets (the picture shows the type we used)
3- Make sure the rice flour package is 400 grams.
We are currently preparing a video on how to make maashara and it will show all the steps. The video will be added soon.
i love your food well done
Thank you very much.
assalaamu alaykum thnks for the wonderful pics i also wanted to ask about masharaa i saw some one made masharaa but not like this so i want the best way to make thank you again
Wa alaykum assalaam Um Muhammed. Please use the correct measurements and the required ingredients shown in the recipe and follow all the steps. Remember that the batter will need to ferment before adding the syrup.
We just made maashara today and it turned out delicious! We will add a video soon.
The video on how to make the Maashara has been added.
what a wonderful recipe! Mkate wa Macshara or Mkate wa mpunga as some people call it, has always been one of my favorite dishes mom made. I’ve been eating them for years & I must admit that the one I had at your house a few months ago, was simply one of the best. If my recollection is correct…You’ve also showed me another version of the recipe.
Thanks for sharing these delicious homemade recipes! I absolutely love them. Keep ‘em coming Abdullahi!
We have combined the two recipes that you mentioned above. The traditional one needed overnight fermentation and took a lot of time to prepare. The second recipe was quick to make but it lacked the taste of the fermented rice that is important for the authentic Maashara taste. Mkate wa Maashara is quite easy to make and you can have excellent results all the time with this recipe.
i have tried the macshara and i like the outcome, but my batter was not like yours mine was more like anjeera batter, and when i added the syrub it became too watery. the package of the rice flour i used was 400g.i also want to ask you when you were doing the mixture it looked like you used 2eggs.
We are glad that you made maashara and that you liked the outcome. The photos you see on the maashara page are for a recipe that has been doubled. That is why you see the 2 eggs. Please watch the video and follow those instructions carefully. The video shows a watery batter just like you described. If you make the batter thicker then the maashara will not be soft.
i’ve tried to make the maashara today and when i was adding the syrup to the maashara batter, it seemed like alot of syrup so i did’t add it all in. now am thinking was it maby a bad call. my maashara has a bit of a muufo texture. How does a maashara supposed to taste like? is it like cake?
I’ve never had one, it is hard for me to judge if i did it right.
Thanks
It is hard to explain the taste of maashara to a person who has never tasted it. Yes, you need to add all the syrup otherwise it will become very dense. It is best if you watch the video and follow the steps as you prepare it. That way you will get the desired result.
assalaam 3aleykumg wrb. first of all, I thank you very much for this helpful website that you created. i also wanted to learn how to make mashara but now that’s not a problem after your wonderful recipe. I was wondering if you can post The recipe of traditional one that needs overnight fermentation, please.
thank you
Wacalykum assalaam. Thank you very much for your comment. Insha-Allah we will post a recipe for the traditional Maashara, but please be patient since we have a lot of recipes to cover. Our website is “Xawaash: Easy Somali Recipes,” so we are giving the priority to the simplified recipes that taste just as good as the traditional ones.
Jazakum allaah alf kheyr. I have tried this mashara recipe but it didn’t come out perfect even though i followed the recipe. it was close but not as i wanted. I think it is my mistake because i used rice flour from Indian store.
where can i find the rice flour you used in this recipe, i live in BC CANADA.
thanks in advance
Use non-glutinuous rice flour. In BC, you can find it easily in Asian supermarkets. We have just added a picture of the package on the recipe page.
thank you so much my sister/brother, jazakum allaahu bi-alf kheyr
My Father in-law loves Maashara and I want to make it for him next time he comes to visit. Your Website is AMAZING.
Thank you! Let us know if you need anything clarified.
S/C ,first of all I want to thank you for your amazing recipes I check for new one every day,because u made cookin easy for me. I made the mashara n it trun out to be really nice and I want to make egg free for my sister due to her allergy reaction to Eggs do u think is it going to good with out eggs? Thank you again!!
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu,
We are happy that the maashara turned out nice for you. You must be a good cook, because maashara is one of the difficult recipes. Some people make it without eggs but we found it a bit hard. Try it and let us know how it turns out.
I will let you know Insha Allah I will try on this weekend,lol it took me forever to get nice mashara lol I use to try before I found your recipe my aunt showed me the old fashion way but I founded ur recipe to be much easier!! I almost give up on mashara till I found you site!! Thank you so much may Allah S.W.T Bless you All!!
We wish you good luck. God bless you.
We remember that a while back we made maashara without eggs. We will dig out the recipe and share it with you before the weekend.
Oh that’s nice of you thanks.
Maashara without eggs:
1 packet (400g) rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups (400g) sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 tsp cardamom
Mix the yeast with 1/4 cup water
Make the syrup by boiling the sugar with 2 cups of water.
While the syrup is boiling, mix the rice flour with the remaining water.
Add the boiling syrup to the rice mixture. Let it cool down, then add the activated yeast and the baking powder.
Let the batter ferment for three hours.
A&L thank you so much I made the mashara with out eggs today it was almost as good as the other one but as u said it was a bit harder but my sister liked n said thank you p.s when u have the chance can u show us mufu barawo in another recipe the one u already have I can’t find both of the main ingredient thank u sooo much and have blessed week Insha Allah !!!!
Thank you for updating us, we are happy your sister liked it. For muufo Baraawe you can also use Creamy Wheatlets, just substitute them for the semolina 1 & 2.
S/c
runtii webkaan aad ayaan u jeclaaday waxyaalo badane waa ka bartay, waxaan maqli jirey waana cuney anigoo yar hawarteey ayaa noo sameen jirtey Bur la dhaho MASH MASH , runtii aad ayaan u jelaan lahaay hadii noo soo gudbineesiin sida loo sameeyo…
shukran wa jazakumallah kheer.
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu,
Mashmash waan ka shaqaynaynaa. Hadduu Ilaahay yiraando waan soo gelin doonnaa. Waan ku faraxnay inaad jeclaatay xawaash.com. Mahadsanid.
waxaan idiinka mahadi nayaa sida fiican aad noo tusteen waxa naga maqan ama aan lawada aqoon noo sii kordhiya oo ku dara mash masha sida loo suubiyo
waad mahad san tihiin
Wax yaabo badan ayaan ka shaqaynaynaa, mashmashkana waan soo hormarin doonnaa hadduu Eebbe idmo.
i made the mashaara 2day bt s/thing is not right.the flour i used contains gluten n i thing that could be the problem. i found out after i already mixed. so my mashara is cutting into pieces. wat went wrong please.jazakalah
The rice flour must be gluten free, otherwise you will not get the desired result.
try this recipe Tanzania recipe…
2 CUPS BASMAT RICE
2 CUPS COCONUT GET GOOD THICK ONE
1 CUP SUGAR
1 1/2 TSPN YEAST
2 EGG WHITE
LITTLE CARDAMON
METHOD:
SOAK YOUR RICE OVER NIGHT NEXT DAY JUST GRIND EVERY THING BUT KEEP COCONUT LITTLE BY LITTLE TILL YOU GET NICE AND SMOOTH PASTE KEEP FOR 2 HOURS TO RISE AND YOU COOK UR BREAD IN LOW HEAT IT’S REALLY NICE… AND SOFT…..
Thank you very much for the recipe. It is similar to the traditional way of preparing Maashara, except that the sugar is boiled. We had requests for the traditional Maashara recipe and your recipe will be a great help. Thanks again.
When it comes to the syrup, How many cups of water and sugar did you use?
Never mind I got it thanks in advance
wabkan waa mahadsantihiin lkn afsoomali manoo gadhigtiino waxbaden anfahmi waye
Waxyaabaha cusub af-Soomaali ayaan ku-qornaa. Hadduu Eebbe idmo macsharada waan ku-qori doonnaa af-soomaali. Mahadsanid.
very nice ur mkate wa kumimina but syrup you keep while mixing your flour or after rising?
We added the syrup after the batter has fermented. Thank you.
Assalamu alaikum akhi/ukhti, this looks good mashaAllah.
I am going to try this tomorrow inshAllah, and I wanted to know if I could use regular stainless steel flat frying pan and if yes do I still pour 2 cups of the batter?
Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to trying some of your sweets..
Wa’alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
If you check at the bottom of the recipe we made a pan macshara using a flat frying pan. How much batter you use depends on the size of the pan. Thank you.
ASC sister and brother i always go back to this recipe when ever i am making mashara to make sure i don’t make any mistakes. my quetion is what is semolina 1 $ 2 made of i am confused cus i use the corn meal instead of the semolina and i couldn’t find it where i live thank you so much i love everyone of your recipes and i almost try all of them!! and i loveee the result!!
Wa’alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Semolina is made from wheat. Semolina # 1 is the fine one and # 2 is the coarse one. Thank you very much for your confidence in our recipes.
i made the best mashara you showed me the easiest way i used to struggle this is easy and nice thank you again god bless you
Thank you very much, Halima, for sharing your experience with us. We are happy you liked the maashara.
asc
suaasheyda waxaa weye,1xabo ma 2o min ayuu qadanayaa dubataankisa?
mahadsanid
Haddaad isla cabbirka aan isticmaalnay aad isticmaashid 20 daqiiqo ayuu qaadanayaa. Haddaad ka-yar ku-shubtid waqti ka-yar ayuu ku-bislaanayaa. Mahadsanid.
Jazakallah for the recipe. I have tried to make them today, they turned out ok,but the top was breaking off. what causes this?
Jazakallah
Thank you for the comment. Maybe you tried to remove it while still hot. Make sure it cools down and do not put it on a flat plate after removing from the wok.
salam alekum this bread looks delicious masha,allah is it possable i could have the recapie on how to do this
Wa’alaikum As-salam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
The recipe is described in the Ingredients and Directions sections. Thank you.
assalaamu calaykum walaal birta macsharada inte laga helaa oo aan kasoo gataa kuwan aan melahaan ku arkay mahan tan oo kale waad mahadsantihiin
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Waxaa ka heli kartaa dukaamada Hindida. Waxay u yaqaanaan (karahi) ama (kadai). Bir godan oo T-fal-ahna waa isticmaali kartaa. Middaan Soomaaliya ayaa laga keenay. Mahadsanid.
Asc walalyaal waad mahadsan tihiin jzkl qeeyran waad noo faa iideyseeen waan webkii ugu horeyay ee soomaali ah oo ugu faa ida badnaa maasha allah gacantiina allaah ha idiin barakeeyo walalyaal waxaan idiin weydiinyaa idiinkoo raali ah macsharo yaryar oo isla ek oo labada dhinac ka gaduudan ayaan arkay qunbana ka soo dhadhamaayo ma inoo sheegi kartiin insha allaah sida loo sameeyo jzkl
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Waan ku faraxsan nahay inaad ka faa’iidaysanaysid. Aad iyo aad ayaa ugu mahadsan tahay hadalada wacan iyo ducada fiican. Hadduu Eebbe idmo waan soo gelin doonnaa codsigaada. Qayr badan ayaan Ilaahay kaaga baryaynaa. Mahadsanid.
Mashallah. By far the best ingredient I’ve tried as for Macsharo. & indeed it makes all the difference to make it in the original tawo as pictured. I’m glad I have it special delivered from Barawa. Shukran for the amazing job you all do. May Allah bless you all In Sha Allah Bi’ednillah
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. We are happy you like the recipe. God bless you too.
Asc walaaleheena qaaliga ah waxaan idin weydiinayaa macsharadaan aad same seen maka sameenkaraa macsharada yar yar ee qafiifta ah waadna wada mahadsantihiin
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Walaasheenna qaaliga ah, waad ka samayn kartaa macsharada yaryar haddaad jeceshahay. Mahadsanid.
maasha allaah illaaheey hakuu barakeeyo gacantaada aamiin,, laakiin adinkoo iga raali ah waxaan idin dhihi lahaay weelka ama digsiga macsharada lagu dubaayo in layara cadeeyo, rugo loo dhaqo sifiican for healthy and safety ahaan iyo waliba nadiifku waa wanaagsanyahay indhaha uroonyahay iyo daawashada….sorry waa ra,yi ahaan koleey. jzkl qeyr..
Birta noocaan wey madoobaataa marka dabka la saaro. Wasaqna haba yaraatee shaqo kuma lahan. Nadaafadda aad ayey muhiim u tahay, inaan ku dadaalno waxaad ka arki kartaa fiidiyoyaasheenna oo dhan. Mahadsanid.
asc wr wr:maanshaallaah dhamaantiin waan idiin mahad naqaayaa waana ku faraxsanahay wep kaan quruxda badan ee sidaan sharafta leh looga soo shaqeeyay mahadsanidiin dhamaantiin marlabaad waxbadan ayaana kafaa iday.shukran.
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Adigaa mahadda mudan walaal. Waan ku faraxsan nahay inaad jelaatay goobta Xawaash iyo inaad ka faa’iidaysanaysid. Mahadsanid walaal.
Merci pour vos partage que Dieu vous récompense par le bien.
C’est vraiment gentil de ta part.
Ask.
walaala yaal aad iyo aad ayaan u mahad santihiin sida sharafta badan
ee aad noogu faa ideysaan marwalbo ilaah hakuu barakeeyo gacantaada.
marwalbo aan kawareero kushiinka Karitaanka xawaash.com ayaa I caawiya. mahadsanid 100%.
Asalam calaykum walaal qayr Allaha idiinka siiyo for all these recipes it always takes me back home they always remind me of my childhood thanks.
I want to try this recipe for aftir inshaAllah and I want to make the pan macshara when it’s done cooking on the bottom can I flip it to brown the top or that will cause a break JAZAAKA ALLAH QAYR RAMADAN KAREEK
Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullaahi Wabarakatuh.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. We did flip it, and it is actually better to do so. You can see that in the last picture.
assalaamu calaykum walal waxaan sameeyey macsharada xoogaha tan oo kale ay uso ekaatay lakin korkeeda wax cad cad ay yeelatay sida bur lagu daadiyey oo kale maalinka aan sameeyo inta ay fresh tahay oo kaliya ay fiican tahay markii talaajada aan galiyo ma fiicna way kala daadanee sababta saas ay u noqoto ayaan rabay inaan ogaado waadmahadsantihiin walaal
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Cad cad waxay yeelataa hadday saliidda ku yaraato, iyo haddii aan si fiican loo daboolin. Macsharo marka la kululeeynaayo waa in la huuriyaa.
asc wr wbr waan ka helay walaalaheen xawaash aad baad ugu mahadsantihiin madaama aad noo faa iidaysan rabina ha idinka ajar siiyo hana idin xifdiyo
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Mahadsanid walaal. Adigana Ilaahay qayr badan ha ku siiyo.
I saw your cake looks delicious. I want to try it, I know every ingredient, but only semonila I don’t know what it looks like and where they sell it. Please tell me about it, thank you
It is a granular milled product of durum wheat. You can find at the supermarkets or Middle Eastern grocers. You can also find at Indian stores where it is known as sooji.
Thank you for your quick response. I will cook it and try it one day.
This has a wonderful yeasty flavor. A lot like Vietnamese Bánh bò, which has a very similar batter and is steamed. I think I like this better though, the caramelized bottom and the flavor of cardamom make it something special.
You are right. We just had it for breaking our fast and it was delicious. Thank you!
Can I make My own rice flour, as in soak rice, let it dry and then, grind it?