by Fatima Sani | Jan 30, 2022 | Local Delicacies
The Wainan Fulawa recipe is a northern Nigerian delicacy fried in a manner just like sinasir. Its primary ingredient is wheat flour. It is quite easy to make. Stay with me as I show you how to prepare this delicious northern Nigerian cuisine.
Equipment for Making Wainan Fulawa
Ingredients for Making Wanan Fulawa
The ingredients needed for the preparation are:
Two (2) cups of flour
Fresh pepper
Seasoning cubes
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil
Two (2) eggs (optional)
Procedure for Preparing Wainan Fulawa
STEP 1: Get a clean bowl, sieve the flour, and set it aside.
STEP 2: Grind your pepper and put it inside the sieved flour. Then;
STEP 3: Slice the onions into small pieces and put them inside.
STEP 4: Add a little water and stir it together. Then;
STEP 5: If you choose to make use of eggs, whisk the eggs in a small bowl and add your seasoning cubes to taste.
STEP 6: Add water gradually until it is well combined or mixed. Then;
STEP 7: Place a frying pan over medium or low heat and add some oil – just a little vegetable oil.
STEP 8: When the vegetable oil gets hot, scoop in the batter. When frying, you will see bubbles on top of the Wainan Fulawa.
STEP 9: Flip it to the other side and allow it to fry for 2 minutes, but on low heat. Repeat the process until you are done with the batter.
STEP 10: When done, turn off the heat, and your Wainan Fulawa is done.
How to Serve Wainan Fulawa
It is served with ground dry pepper, and if you like, you could take it with fried palm oil. More so, Kunun Gyada, Kunun Tsamiya, Kunun Tamba, and most Kunus will go with it.
It tastes better when served hot.
Occasions to Serve Wainan Fulawa Best
This delicacy can be prepared any day, anytime, anywhere. As a result, you can take it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, naming ceremonies, sallah periods, birthday parties, wedding ceremonies, etc.
How to Store Wainan Fulawa
Wainan Fulawa is just like Sinasir in terms of storage. It is best stored in a cool, dry place, like a warmer. Also, it can last for two days. It makes it last longer when stored in a refrigerator.
Nutritional Value of Wainan Fulawa
Wainan Fulawa is primarily composed of carbs but also has moderate amounts of protein. Here are the nutrition facts for 3.5 ounces, which is equivalent to 100 grams of whole-grain wheat flour: calories (340), water (11%), protein (13.2 grams), sugar (0.4 grams), carbs (72 grams), fiber (10.7 grams), and fat (2.5 grams).
In addition, eating Wainan Fulawa has many health benefits which make it an interesting delicacy.
Conclusion
Wainan Fulawa’s recipe is delicious, as a lot of people I know have testified. It is one of my favorite local delicacies, and I love to take it for breakfast.
It will interest you to know that you don’t necessarily need to fry it with vegetable oil, palm oil too can do the job just fine.
Now that you know how to prepare Sinasir, tell me in the comments section below your experience on it.
You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.
by Fatima Sani | Jan 30, 2022 | Local Delicacies
The sinasir recipe is one of the many sweet recipes in the Northern part of Nigeria. It tastes so sweet and delicious that it will keep you asking for more. It is basically made with short-grain rice—the one used to make Tuwon Shinkafa. Also, it is very easy to make.
Without any further ado, let’s dive into its preparation, shall we?
Equipment for Making Sinasir
Ingredients for Making Sinasir
This northern Nigerian cuisine is prepared with the following ingredients:
Three (3) cups of short-grain rice
Two (1) cups of per-boiled rice
Two (2) teaspoons of yeast
½ teaspoon of baking powder
Four (4) teaspoons of sugar
A cup of water
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil
Onions
Procedure for Preparing Sinasir
STEP 1: Let’s start by placing the rice in a clean bowl and adding enough water inside the rice to soak for more than 3 hours.
STEP 2: Wash the rice properly. Make it look very clean.
STEP 3: Proof the yeast by adding some warm water inside the yeast and setting it aside.
STEP 4: After washing the rice, drain off the water and rinse the rice. Then;
STEP 5: When the rinsing is done, blend the soaked rice with a little water. When done, add the parboiled rice and blend it too.
STEP 6: Mix it together and stir it very well, then add a little bit of small water and stir it until it becomes very soft.
STEP 7: After that, add a pinch of salt, sugar, and the proofed yeast. Stir together until well combined.
STEP 8: Cut the onions into small pieces and add them to the batter. The batter shouldn’t be too thick or too watery.
STEP 9: Cover it up and allow it to proof for more than 2 hours. When it is done, it is time for frying.
STEP 10: Over medium heat, place a frying pan and add a little bit of oil to the pan. Leave the oil to fry for two minutes.
STEP 11: Pour the batter into the frying pan and allow it to fry for 4 minutes. When fried, flip it up to the other side and allow it to fry for 2 minutes.
STEP 12: Take it off the heat, put it inside a warmer, and cover it so that it doesn’t get cold. Then;
STEP 13: Repeat the previous steps until all the sinasir has been exhausted.
STEP 14: Tadaaa! Your Sinasir recipe is ready.
How to Serve Sinasir
The sinasir recipe is served with vegetable soup (Miyan Alayyahu), pepper soup, and even sugar. You could also eat it with any sauce of your choice—onion sauce, egg sauce, and the like.
Remember to serve hot.
Occasions to Serve Sinasir Best
The tastiness of this meal makes it difficult for people not to serve it on different occasions like wedding ceremonies, Eid-El Fitr, naming ceremonies, birthday parties, and many more.
How to Store Sinasir
Sinasir is best stored in a cool and dry place like a warmer. It can last for 2 days. It makes it last longer when stored in a refrigerator.
Nutritional Value of Sinasir
Sinasir is a good source of energy, can help reduce the risk of cancer, prevents obesity, and is a good source of protein.
Conclusion
As you have seen, making Sinasir recipe is very easy and when done correctly, looks very appetizing and tastes delicious. Remember, do not make it too thick or too watery, or else, the batter will scatter in the frying pan.
Now that you know how to prepare Sinasir, tell me in the comments section below your experience on it.
You are always welcome to Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.
by Umar Farouk Kabir | Jan 25, 2022 | Tech & Innovation
Are you trying to set up a Facebook ad, but you do not know how to go about it? Well, you have certainly come to the right place. Setting up a Facebook ad for your business or any other thing doesn’t require you to be a pro. Here, you read up on how to set up Facebook ads for beginners. The steps are few and quite easy to follow.
Facebook ads are a powerful way of growing businesses. The platform is one of the biggest in the world, and so, it makes for business advertisement quite easy, and fast with some really good results.
Let us dive in, shall we?
Why Choose Facebook Ads?
Several social media platforms offer advertisement services, but what makes Facebook ads different? Facebook ads offer a lot of customization and creative control over your ads.
Facebook ads are also connected to Instagram ads. You can run one ad on the two platforms at a go. For some with experience, they might say the Facebook ads are quite expensive, but the truth is, it is still pretty affordable given the massive advantages it offers compared to its competitors.
So, what are the steps taken to set up Facebook ads?
8 Steps Taken in Setting up Facebook Ads
1. Come Up With a Strategy
Before anything, you must first come up with a game plan. The very first step taken in creating a Facebook ad is strategy; this step is one you cannot afford to overlook. If you do, you will end up creating an ad campaign that doesn’t really target the audience you want, or worse, you create an ad that doesn’t really target anyone.
So what are the questions you need to ask yourself when coming up with a game plan? Ask yourself these questions and be sure to answer them as carefully as possible:
- What goods or services am I advertising?
- Who are my target audiences?
- How will they use what I am offering?
- What are the possible issues they might have about my products?
- What is my endgame? Also, what is the goal of this ad campaign?
Pro Tip: A game-plan isn’t only needed when setting up Facebook ads; it is needed when starting anything new that is worthwhile.
2. Choose Your Objective
Now that you have a strategy in place, it is time to actually begin setting up your ad via the ad manager. The first thing to do here is to select your objective. It is imperative to choose the right one as Facebook will in fact optimize ads based on your objective. The right objective improves results.
You will want to choose an objective that truly resonates with your business goals.
3. Target Your Audience
You should not start an ad campaign without knowing or at least having a rough idea of who your target audience is.
This is what it looks like:
Pro Tip:
- Use Lookalike audiences to replicate qualities from your custom audience. Facebook highlights the similarities between those in custom audiences and original audiences and finds users similar to them outside this bracket to use in the next campaign.
- Use demographic targeting
- Custom audiences; custom audiences target specific users who have visited your Facebook or Instagram business page.
- Use interest targeting
All these tools are designed to help improve targeting accuracy and efficiency.
4. Choose Where You Want Your Advertisement to Be Seen
The next step taken in setting up a Facebook ad is choosing what applications and devices you want your ads to be shown.
From the image above, you can see that you have the option of selecting devices, placements, apps, mobile devices, networks, and so on.
5. Create Your Budget
This is the part where you select the budget that is most favourable to you, select when your ad campaign schedule, and optimization method.
Note: Only manually change the optimization method if you are familiar with it.
You can set up your ad to run at specified times or set it up to run indefinitely. You can also select a lifetime budget or daily budget. Think carefully before making this decision.
6. Select Advertisement Format
From the image above, you can see the ad formats available for selection includes:
- Single image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads, which allow you to show several videos and/or pictures
- Canvas ads
- Collections, which open up to be a full-screen mobile experience.
Note: Each ad format has its own unique quality and benefit.
7. Add Details
In this section, you can add details about your business. These added details can help generate more traffic for your business.
Details like your website address, call to action, and product description is things you should not overlook as these are what make your page look more professional and attractive.
The detail section looks like this:
8. Manage Your Ad
This is the final step in creating Facebook ads. Once your ad campaign begins running, it is imperative to track your performance. By tracking how well your ads are doing, you can make necessary adjustments via ads manager.
Conclusion
Facebook ads have a lot of advantages and options to choose from. These options are geared at making your business promotion smooth and efficient. Remember to choose your options carefully, choose options that will work in your favour and not against.
Do not worry if the ads system seems a bit complex for you at first. All you need is a little time, and you will be familiar with it. When confused about the steps, remember to come back to this article and use it as a guide.
What do you think of this article? Do you already use the Facebook guide for your business? Do you have questions regarding the ads system? Share your thought in the comment section below!
Visit: Northpad Nigeria to read up on articles that will help you grow your business.
by Umar Farouk Kabir | Jan 25, 2022 | Personal Growth
We are in a generation nearly everything is online; I mean, practically everything is done, and can be done online. A lot of sensitive information is being stored online. For this reason, there is an undisputed need for the protection of said sensitive information. This is where cyber security comes into play. So, what is cyber security?
Cyber security is typically defined as the steps and processes involved in safeguarding the important stuff we put online.
Shall we get a little bit techier?
Cyber security is the application of technologies and processes to defend systems, networks, devices, and data (vital or otherwise) from cyber-attack.
What Is Cyber Attack?
We have mentioned the word cyber a couple of times now, but do we really know what it means?
The word cyber means “relating to, or involving computers or computer networks.” Now it will make more sense when we go deeper into cyber attacks and cyber security.
A cyber-attack is an assault by criminals using a network of computers to maliciously disable target computers, steal data or use the target computer as a launch point for other attacks.
We cannot talk about cyber security properly without discussing cyber-attacks, even briefly. We will touch upon some of the common cyber-attacks we are exposed to on a daily basis without proper security measures in place.
1. Backdoors
Backdoors, as the name implies is a technique where there is remote access to computers or systems without the user knowing of such access. The backdoor allows the cybercriminal to steal data and spy on the target computer.
Personally, I think this is one of the worst and among the most unethical type of cyber assault. Formjacking entails inserting malicious codes into online payment forms to gain access to the customers’ card details.
3. DNS Poisoning Attacks
DNS stands for Domain Name System. In this type of attack, the victim gets redirected to malicious sites without the permission of the said user. You and I have been victims of this type of attack multiple times, unfortunately.
4. Phishing Attacks
This is another attack that entails the use of social media networks to trick people into divulging sensitive information. This is extremely dangerous as these fraudulent messages aren’t always so distinguishable from those that are legit. Again, at some point in time, you and I have received such messages requesting bank details and whatnot.
5. Malware
You must not be techy to hear about malware. It is a very popular term in the cyber world. Basically, malware is any file or program intended or designed to harm or disrupt a computer. There are so many malware types out there, but to name a few, we have: Botnet software, Ransomware attack, RAT(remote access Trojan), Spyware, Trojan
Now that we know some of the ways cybercriminals attack their victims, I am sure it has become ever more evident that the need for cyber security is indisputable.
Why is Cyber-Security Important?
At this point, it should be clear that anybody who has a digital footprint needs some sort of security online. These attacks are not only aimed at tech people, no. it will be unwise to think so. In actuality, cyber-attacks are often automated and aim to exploit common computer network vulnerabilities rather than specific websites and organizations.
Cyber security is very important because it protects all forms of data from personal data, personal information, and intellectual property to the government and industry data.
Without cyber security, you cannot protect the data that you have stored online, neither can your organization protect itself from attacks.
Cyber-attacks can come from any facet of your company or organization. It is becoming increasingly important for companies to educate their staff about common cyber threats like social engineering scams, malware and other forms of threats that will put the organization at risk.
The truth is; whether you are an individual, small business owner or a large organization, so long as you rely on a computer to send and receive data, you are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
It is very easy to confuse cyber security with information security. At a glance, one might think the two mean the same thing but is indeed a fine line between the two.
Cyber security is primarily involved with the protection of electronic devices against attacks in cyberspace while information security is concerned with protecting the confidentiality and integrity of information.
Cyber security and information security are fundamental to what is known as information risk management.
Information risk management is a risk reduction technique that employs procedures and technology that mitigate cyber-attacks from vulnerability and poor data security. Data breaches are highly detrimental to the victims and are a result of poorly protected information.
You need cyber security in order to protect your hardware from attacks that will lead to information or data theft while information security is put in place to protect the information or data stored on the electronic device.
10 Best Cyber Security Practices
1. Keep Software Up-To-Date
There are primarily three reasons why a software update is highly recommended: to add features to allow a smoother and faster use of a device of software, bug fix, and security update.
2. Avoid Opening Dangerous And Suspicious Emails
We talked about software engineering scams, and what better way to dodge this very annoying bullet than to be extra cautious about emails and messages from unknown sources.
3. Change Hardware From To Time
This practice right here is a bit expensive to maintain, but extremely important. You may think that frequent software is enough, but it really isn’t. This is because there comes a time when the device is outdated and so the software update cannot be supported by the old device.
4. Adopt a Secure File Sharing Service
The files you share are only as secure as the sharing service you use to share them with. Using a secure file sharing solution to encrypt your files prevents unauthorized access and keeps your files safe.
5. Use Anti-Virus
This is the popular means of fighting viral attacks on electronic devices. The usage of anti-virus doesn’t provide complete protection against attacks, but it does greatly reduce the risk.
6. Use Secure VPN for Private Connections
VPN stands for virtual private network. Using the VPN will secure your connection and protect your information from your internet service provider and malicious prying eyes.
7. Triple Check Your Passwords!
You cannot overlook this practice as it is very important and often at times, it is the first layer of defence against data and information breach. Use howtosecuremypassword.net to see just how secure your password is.
8. Scan External Storage Devices for Virus
Your external storages such as flash-drives are susceptible to viruses and malware. If you hook up infected hardware to your computer or mobile phone, it will spread.
9. Do Not Keep Adware on Your Devices
Yep! You guessed it, ads. Pesky ads! What the adware does is collect information about you and serve you more targeted ads based on the collected information.
This is why sometimes your internet browser seems like it knows exactly what you want or what you are thinking about. That is the adware at work.
10. Enable 2-Factor Authentication
2-factor authentication is simply another layer of protection that helps verify the user identity before granting access.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed cyber security, information security and cyber-attacks. I am quite sure that you are a lot wiser on the importance of cyber-security and the risks incurred by neglecting it. As cyber-security measures are getting more sophisticated, so does cyber-attacks. For this reason, one must always be vigilant about the security of their devices and information stored.
Visit Northpad Nigeria for more eye-opening write-ups on a wide array of topics!
by Abu Hafsah | Jan 23, 2022 | Food & Kitchen
Faten Wake, otherwise known as Beans Porridge in the English language, is a food consumed basically by almost all tribes in Nigeria. I seriously don’t know any tribe that doesn’t. To be more specific, the Yorubas are the major consumers of this type of recipe. This article seeks to walk you through how to prepare bean porridge (faten wake).
The primary ingredient for this delicacy is beans. Of course, it has to be because the name of the recipe implies that.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get started on how to prepare bean porridge!
Equipment for Making Beans Porridge
Ingredients for Making Beans Porridge
2 cups of beans
Spices (maggi, curry powder, etc.)
Vegetables like pepper, onions, tomatoes, etc.
A small bunch of spinach (optional)
½ cup of vegetable or palm oil
Boiled or fried meat or fish (optional)
Salt to taste
Procedure for Making Faten Wake
STEP 1: Pick the dirt out of the beans
STEP 2: Wash the beans well. Then;
STEP 3: Over medium heat, put the washed beans in a pot and allow them to cook. Do this for 30 minutes. If you wish, you could add kanwa (potash) to it to speed up the process.
STEP 4: By now, the beans are soft. Wash the beans well with clean water and put them in a bowl. Set this aside.
STEP 5: Put a clean pot over medium and pour in your vegetable or palm oil.
STEP 6: Slice your onions, tomatoes, and pepper and put them into the pot in STEP 5. Allow to fry for 10 minutes. Ensure you stir gently from time to time to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot.
STEP 7: Now, add a little water to the pot and pour in your meat or fish. Remember, adding meat or fish is optional. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
STEP 8: Add your boiled beans to the pot and stir gently. Leave to cook for another five minutes.
STEP 9: Now slice your spinach and wash thoroughly before you add it to the pot. Allow to simmer.
STEP 10: Add in your salt, Maggi, and other spices like curry powder. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes too.
STEP 11: Taste the meal and add spices if need be. Turn off the cooker, and your Faten Wake is done.
How to Serve Faten Wake
Faten Wake recipe is served with soaked or raw garri (soak the garri and eat with the beans or pour the raw garri on the recipe and stir, then eat), bread, water, etc. You could also eat it with fried plantains, fried chips, boiled or fried eggs, and lots more.
Don’t forget to serve it hot, as it tastes better when hot.
Occasions to Serve Faten Wake
Faten Wake can be eaten as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Yorubas even serve it at naming ceremonies, weddings, festivals, etc. Basically, Faten Wake is for all occasions.
How to Store Faten Wake
Beans have a high tendency to spoil; as a result, ensure you make just enough for immediate consumption. However, if it is more than enough, you can store it in a refrigerator, and that will make it last for days to the detriment of its delicious taste.
Nutritional Value of Faten Wake
Because the major constituent is beans, Faten Wake helps in repairing the body as it contains protein; it helps in making healthy red blood cells, and it helps in preventing neural tube defects in a fetus during pregnancy.
In addition, people who consume beans on a regular basis are less likely to die of heart attacks or other cardiovascular illnesses. It also helps in reducing the risk of cancer, stabilizing blood glucose or even preventing diabetes, preventing fatty liver, and lots more.
Conclusion
As you have seen, how to prepare Beans Porridge (Faten Wake) is like a walk in the park if you follow the above-mentioned steps. If this recipe is new to you, I hope you try making it soon so as not to miss out on its amazing taste.
If you find this article helpful, please leave a comment in the comments section below.
You are always welcome to visit Northpad Nigeria for more local Northern Nigerian delicacies.
