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Vitumbua (Tanzanian Coconut Rice Pancakes)

Vitumbua is a popular street food in East Africa especially in Tanzania and Kenya.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time1 day 6 hours
Course: Breakfast, Light Meal, Snack, Street Food
Cuisine: African, Tanzanian
Keyword: Tanzanian Rice Cakes, Tanzanian Rice Pancakes, Vitumbua
Servings: 25
Author: kanthi

Equipment

  • A powerful grinder
  • A special pan with hemispherical indentations

Ingredients

For the Batter

  • 250 g raw rice
  • 2 tablespoons grated coconut or desiccated coconut fine
  • 300 ml coconut milk adjust as needed
  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Oil for cooking

For Dipping Sauce

  • 100 ml coconut milk or as needed
  • 50 g brown sugar or to taste

Instructions

Make the Batter

  • Wash the rice a couple of times until the water runs clear. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  • Drain the soaked rice and transfer it to a blender.
  • Grind the soaked rice with grated coconut or soaked desiccated coconut adding coconut milk as needed to a smooth paste.
  • In a small bowl, mix the active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 50ml of warm water. Set aside for about 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.
  • Pour the ground rice batter into a large bowl and add the frothy yeast mixture, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a little salt. Stir well to combine.
  • Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size and bubbly for about 4 to 6 hours. You can also leave it to ferment overnight ( 8 hours) if you want it more tangy.
  • Add the rest of the sugar, ground cardomom to the fermented batter and stir until well combined. Season with salt. Adjust the consistency of the batter adding more coconut milk as needed.
  • Add the baking powder dissolved in a little water, and stir until well combined. Rest for about 10 minutes.

Cooking

  • Heat the pan over medium. I used an electric Takoyaki griddle with many molds. You can also use a non-stick pan. Drop some oil in each hole, and brush the holes with oil generously.
  • Pour a spoonful of batter (3/4 full) into each hole.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes until the pancakes are set and the bottom is golden brown. Adjust the heat as you cook to prevent the burning of pancakes. There should be tiny bubbles forming all over the surface of the pancake.
  • Flip them using chopsticks or a skewer and cook the other side too. You will need a little bit of practice to do this, but gets easier with practice. Cook the other side and repeat until all the batter is finished.

Make the Dipping Sauce

  • Heat coconut milk and brown sugar in a pot over low medium. Stir frequently until you have a thick sauce for about 10 minutes or more.

Serve & Enjoy!

  • Serve warm with coconut dipping sauce and a hot cup of tea. You can also go sweet with honey, maple, or chocolate sauce.

Notes

  • Use either short-grain rice like arborio or long-grain rice like Thai white rice
  • Soak for 10 minutes in some water if you use desiccated coconut
  • Use either instant or active dry yeast. You can use instant yeast without activating it in water.