Vibibi (East African Coconut Rice Pancakes)
Vibibi, a popular street food amongst the Swahili-speaking communities in East Africa, are made from a fermented batter of ground rice and coconut milk and eaten for breakfast or as a snack with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Powerful Grinder
Ingredients
- 250 g white rice see the notes
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut see the notes
- 300 ml coconut milk adjust as needed
- 1 tsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 50 g sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 egg optional
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Coconut oil for cooking
Instructions
- Clean the rice by rinsing it in a colander under running water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight and then drain the water.
- Grind the soaked rice adding coconut milk as needed to a smooth paste. Grind soaked desiccated coconut together with rice, if using.
- Pour the ground rice batter into a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a little salt. Stir well to combine. Add the instant yeast or activated yeast mixture and mix well. Place it in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours or until the batter gets frothy and increases in volume.
- The batter becomes thick and foamy after fermentation.
- Now, add the rest of the sugar, cardamom powder, and salt to taste and stir gently. Adjust the consistency of the batter by adding warm water or coconut milk as needed. Stir in the baking soda after dissolving it in a spoonful of warm water. Let the batter rest for about 10 to 20 minutes.
- If you use egg in your batter; add the egg after whisking it in a separate bowl. Stir gently and rest for about 10 minutes. The batter should be light and bubbly.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium and grease with some oil. Pour a large spoonful of batter into the pan and let it spread into a circle. When the top of the pancake starts forming small holes, cover the pan with a lid. After drying up the top of the pancake, gently flip it to cook the other side.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter greasing the pan with more oil as necessary.
- Serve with a hot cup of plain tea or milk tea. Enjoy!
Notes
Use white rice like Thai white rice. Adding desiccated coconut is optional if using soaked in water before use. You can use instant yeast without activating it. Activate your yeast if you use dry active yeast.