Swahili Recipes: Qita (Maize & Wheat Flour Pancake)

Qita (Maize & Wheat Flour Pancake)
Qita commands respect among the Burji’s as a breakfast dish and an all-day snack. Uniquely prepared with a mix of corn and wheat flour, Qita is deliciously spiced and is enjoyed by the entire family.

Ingredients
– 2 cups (312 g) wheat flour, refined
– 3 cups (533 g) maize flour, white, refined
– 1 tbsp. (7 g) yeast, dry
– 3 ¼ cups (835 g) water
– ½ tbsp. (6 g) salt iodized
– 4 tbsp. (61 g) butter, cow
– 1 tbsp. (13 g) mixed spices
– 2 cloves garlic (2 g)

Preparation 2 hours 30 minutes | Cooking 40 minutes |
Serves 4
• Measure wheat flour, maize flour, yeast, water, and salt.
Mix the flours (wheat and maize) in a bowl and add the
salt.
• Heat the water in a pan until warm. Add ¼ cup of the
water to the yeast. Create a hole in the flour and pour
in the yeast mixture.
• Mix properly using your hands. Keep adding the rest of the
water to the flour gradually and mixing by hand.
• Set aside to rise for 2 hours.
• Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Add crushed garlic and
mixed spices.
• Once they are evenly mixed, remove them from the fire and
sieve to remove residue.
• Add the butter preparation to the flour mixture and stir
until evenly mixed.
• Heat a cooking pan for 4 minutes. Using a small soup
spoon, pour 2 scoops of the batter onto the heated pan.
• Using your hands, spread it out into the desired thickness.
• Cover the pan. After 3 minutes, it will have turned golden brown. Flip it over.
• After 2 minutes, flip it over again.
• Keep turning it over until it hardens.
• Add the desired batter and spread. One piece takes 8 minutes to cook.
• Again, pour 2 scoops onto the pan. Using the hands,
spread to the desired size.
• Repeat the process until all the batter is used.

Content courtesy of Kenya Food Recipes, Mama Ntilie & NFH
A Recipe Book of Common Mixed Dishes With Nutrient Values, As Prepared By Communities