Vitumbua (Coconut Rice Pancakes)
East African (Swahili coast, Tanzania/Kenya) sweet coconut rice pancakes, served with a coconut caramel dipping sauce and chai.
Ingredients
| 2 cups | 480 ml | rice |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | yeast |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | canned coconut milk, slightly warmed |
| 2-3 tablespoon | 30–45 ml | coconut flakes (optional) |
| 1/2 -1 teaspoon | 2.5–5 ml | salt |
| 3/4 – 1 cup | 180–240 ml | sugar (brown, white or coconut sugar; author used coconut sugar) |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | spice - cardamom, nutmeg |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | almond extract |
| 1 can | coconut (for coconut dipping/caramel sauce) | |
| 3/4 cup | 180 ml | brown sugar (for sauce) |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | vanilla extract (for sauce) |
Instructions
VITUMBUA
- Soak 2 cups of rice in a large bowl and let it soften; this might take 4 hours or more, preferably overnight.
- Drain the water completely and add to a food processor or blender together with coconut milk, flakes, spices, sugar, salt and yeast. Blend until pureed; you might have to do this in batches depending on your blender - make sure you pause in between and check for smoothness.
- Pour into a large bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm area until doubled in size or when you see bubbles forming.
- Heat a vitumbua or fry pan on medium heat, add about a 1/2 or more teaspoon of oil, and brush the holes with the oil.
- Make sure the pan is warm enough before adding batter about 3/4 full. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, then quickly flip using a chopstick. Continue cooking on the other side and repeat this process until all the batter is finished.
- Let it cool slightly and enjoy with chai or caramel dipping sauce.
COCONUT CARAMEL DIPPING SAUCE Bring the coconut milk and brown sugar to a boil together in a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet. Reduce heat to medium low; cook and stir frequently until the mixture is thick and the volume has reduced by about half, about 20 minutes or more.