Wasawasa Recipe: Northern Ghana's Steamed Yam Flour Dish
Wasawasa serving video
Wasawasa Recipe: Northern Ghana's Steamed Yam Flour Dish
Wasawasa is one of those dishes that tells you everything about where it comes from. It is the staple of Dagbon and much of northern Ghana, made from something most of us throw away: dried yam peels. The peels are washed, dried in the sun until they are crispy, then milled into a dark flour and steamed. What comes out of the steamer is a deep, earthy mound that turns almost black as it cooks, and it eats like comfort food.
If you grew up in the south, you may never have eaten wasawasa. Most southern homes discard yam peels without a second thought, which is a shame, because steamed and seasoned properly, wasawasa is as satisfying as any rice dish on the site.
The flour is the whole recipe
Everything about wasawasa comes down to the flour. Traditionally it is made from jaling, dried yam peels that have been washed thoroughly, sun-dried until completely crispy, then milled. The drying matters: any moisture left in the peels can spoil the flour. Once dried properly, the brownish outer coat falls off on its own and the peels mill into a fine, dark flour.
If you are in the diaspora, finding jaling flour is the hard part. Check African grocery stores that stock northern Ghanaian or Nigerian foods, or ask a seller who mills yam flour (elubo, the flour used for amala, is a close cousin made from whole dried yam rather than peels and works as a substitute, though the flavor is different).
Wasawasa Recipe: Northern Ghana's Steamed Yam Flour Dish
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Ingredients
- 2 cups wasawasa (jaling) flour
- About 3 cups water, plus more for steaming
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- To serve: spicy pepper sauce, shea butter or raw groundnut oil, fried fish
- Optional sides: gari, salad, cooked beans
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and set a steamer basket or colander over it, or use a traditional steamer setup.
- Place the wasawasa flour in a wide bowl. Sprinkle the salt over it.
- Add the water a little at a time, mixing as you go, until you have a damp, crumbly mixture with no dry pockets. Do not make it wet or soupy; it should hold together loosely when squeezed.
- Transfer the mixture to the steamer, cover tightly, and steam for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through and firm.
- Turn the wasawasa into a bowl while hot, add salt to taste, and stir vigorously to break up any lumps. It will be dark, almost black. That is correct.
- Serve hot with spicy pepper sauce, a drizzle of shea butter or raw groundnut oil, and fried fish. Gari, salad, or beans on the side if you like.
Tips
Break the lumps while it is hot. Wasawasa firms up as it cools, so the stirring step right after steaming is when you get it smooth.
Do not skip the fat. Shea butter or raw groundnut oil is not a garnish here; it carries the flavor of the whole dish. A generous drizzle is traditional.
Keep the steamer sealed. Like banku and kenkey, wasawasa cooks in trapped steam. Every time you lift the lid you lose heat and add time.
Frequently asked questions
What is wasawasa made of?
Dried yam peels, called jaling, which are washed, sun-dried, milled into flour, and steamed. It is the staple dish of Dagbon and other parts of northern Ghana.
Why is wasawasa black?
The flour is made from dried yam peels, so it steams up dark. Wasawasa usually turns black or very dark brown after cooking. That is normal and expected.
What do you eat wasawasa with?
Spicy pepper sauce, shea butter or raw groundnut oil, and fried fish are the classic accompaniments. Like waakye, it also goes well with tomato sauce, gari, salad, and beans.
Is wasawasa the same as amala?
Not quite. Both are made from yam flour, but amala (Nigerian) is made from flour of whole dried yam and stirred into a smooth dough in hot water, while wasawasa is made from dried yam peels and steamed. Elubo flour can substitute in a pinch, but the flavor will differ.
Where can I buy wasawasa flour outside Ghana?
African grocery stores that carry northern Ghanaian or Nigerian foods sometimes stock it. Ask for jaling flour or wasawasa flour. Elubo (yam flour for amala) is easier to find and is the closest substitute.