Vibibi - Swahili Rice and Coconut Milk Pancakes

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The Swahili cuisine, which I love, is known for it's use of flavorful spices and bold flavours. If you like me, enjoy making Kenyan and Swahili food in general, then I definitely recommend that you check out my Pilau Rice, Nyama Choma, Ugali, and Kachumbari recipes! These taste so good, and are so easy to prepare!

what are vibibi?

Vibibi are fluffy, soft, vegetarian and delicious pancakes made from rice and coconut milk. The name vibibi is a Swahili word, which literally translates to little ladies. They are especially popular amongst the Swahili speaking communities in East Africa, especially around coastal towns such as Mombasa, and are normally served for breakfast, or for dessert. They are also sold as a street food, where people enjoy them as a snack. Alongside dishes such as Mahamri and Mandazi, vibibi are commonly served in the period of Ramadhan during the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor).

ingredients

These are the ingredients you will need to make these rice and coconut milk pancakes. This is a summary, a printable recipe card with the full ingredient measurements has been provided at the bottom of this page.

• rice - any type of white rice can be used for this recipe.
• sugar
• all-purpose wheat flour.
• coconut milk - traditionally, a combination of light and thick coconut milk is used but you can also use room temperature canned coconut milk.
• an egg.
• active dry instant yeast.
• cardamon powder (iliki).
• vegetable cooking oil or ghee (to cook the pancakes).

how to make vibibi (Swahili rice and coconut milk pancakes)

Here is a step-by-step summary of how to make vibibi.

Clean the rice by rinsing it in a colander under cold, running water. Next, using warm water, soak the rice overnight or for at least six hours. Drain it, give it a final rinse, then transfer it to a blender. Add the egg, sugar, coconut milk, yeast, all-purpose flour, and cardamon to the blender.

Blend in one-minute bursts until properly combined, making sure to scrape the sides in order to catch any unprocessed rice grains. Transfer to a bowl, cover and allow to rise for at least an hour.

Heat a non-stick frying pan under medium heat and drizzle or brush with a small amount of oil. Spoon about a sixth of a cup (or more for larger pancakes) to the pan, reduce the heat to low, then cover and allow to cook.

Cook until the top surface develops bubbles or holes on top, brush with a bit of oil, flip and cook until the pancake develops a wonderful golden-brown colour. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and repeat the process for the rest of the remaining batter then serve.

serving suggestions

Traditionally enjoyed with some coffee (kahawa) or tea, you can also enjoy vibibi as follows:-

• serve vibibi with a drizzle of some sweet, thickened coconut sauce.
• enjoy them with chopped fruit, nuts, or ice cream.
• they also taste great with a drizzle of maple or pancake syrup.

useful tips

Here are a few useful tips that will help you make soft and fluffy vibibi.

• it is important to allow the rice to soak properly, otherwise, your vibibi just ends up grainy.
• make sure to properly blend the ingredients, so you end up with a nice and smooth batter.
• cook the vibibi under medium to low heat to prevent them from browning up too fast on the outside, before they have properly cooked on the inside.
• when it comes to milk, the traditional recipes normally use a combination of light and thick coconut milk. You can, however, still use canned, room-temperature coconut milk. In this case, make sure to mix it so it is well incorporated.
• feel free to make your pancakes as big or as small as you prefer.

variations

• you can make this recipe using rice flour, in place of the soaked rice grains. In this case, use one cup of rice flour and slowly add the coconut milk until you obtain a smooth and runny batter.
• make it vegan by adding an extra one and half tablespoon of all-purpose flour, in place of the egg.
• make vibibi using maize flour (unga wa sima). In this case, simply incre

more delicious African recipes to try!

• South African Pancake (Pannekoek)
• Samaki wa Kupaka (grilled fish in coconut sauce)
• How to Make Pilau Masala Spice
• Kenyan Beef Stew
• Watch how to make Beef Samosa
• Delicious Sukuma Wiki