Vibibi - Swahili Rice and Coconut Milk Pancakes

Vibibi - Swahili Rice and Coconut Milk Pancakes

Make soft, fluffy, and delicious Vibibi (Swahili rice and coconut milk pancakes)! These are perfect to enjoy during Ramadhan, serve for breakfast, as a snack or as dessert!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine African, East African, Kenyan, Swahili

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 7

Total Time 7 40

Servings

Calories 84kcal

Author Kate Hahnel

Equipment

non-stick frying pan
pancake turner
Mixing bowl

Ingredients

1½ cups rice
2-3 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1½ cups coconut milk (you can use room temperature canned coconut milk, or a mixture of light and thick coconut milk).
1 medium-sized egg (at room temperature).
1 teaspoon active dry instant yeast
1 teaspoon cardamon powder (iliki)
⅓ cup vegetable cooking oil or ghee ( or more, to cook the pancakes).

Instructions

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.
1½ cups rice
To the blender, add the egg, sugar, coconut milk, yeast, all-purpose flour, and cardamon.
2-3 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1½ cups coconut milk, 1 medium-sized egg, 1 teaspoon active dry instant yeast, 1 teaspoon cardamon powder
Blend in 30-second bursts until properly combined, making sure to scrape the sides to catch any unprocessed rice grains. Transfer the batter to a bowl, cover it and allow it to rise for at least one hour, or until the batter turns frothy and increases in size.
Heat a non-stick frying pan under medium heat and drizzle or brush 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.
⅓ cup vegetable cooking oil or ghee
Cook until the top surface develops bubbles or holes on top, brush with a bit of oil, gently 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.
Serve your vibibi with a drizzle of some sweetened and thickened coconut milk sauce, coffee (kahawa), or with some tea.

Notes

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.

Nutrition