Vitumbua (Tanzanian Coconut Rice Cakes)
In short: Small, round, lightly sweet rice cakes made with coconut milk and cardamom, crisp outside and soft inside, cooked in a dimpled pan. It takes about 45 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Vitumbua are small, round rice cakes from the Swahili coast, made from a coconut milk and rice flour batter scented with cardamom. They are cooked in a pan with round hollows until crisp and golden outside and soft and slightly chewy inside. They are sold in the morning and during Ramadan, and eaten warm for breakfast or with tea. Without a special pan, you can cook the batter as small pancakes.
Instructions
- Whisk the rice flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm coconut milk and water and whisk into a smooth batter, a little thicker than pancake batter.
- Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until the batter is bubbly and has risen slightly.
- Heat a vitumbua pan or round-cavity pan over medium heat. Brush each hollow with oil.
- Stir the batter and fill each hollow about three quarters full. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the tops are set with small bubbles and the bottoms are golden.
- Turn each cake over with a skewer or fork and cook for 2 more minutes until golden all over. Repeat with the remaining batter, oiling the pan between batches.
- Serve the vitumbua warm, on their own or with a cup of tea.
Tips
- No dimpled pan? Cook the batter as small, thick pancakes in a nonstick skillet, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- For a yeast-free version, replace the yeast with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and cook right away without resting the batter.
Questions and answers
Can I make vitumbua batter ahead?
Yes. Keep the risen batter in the fridge overnight and stir it before cooking. It may need a spoonful of warm water to loosen it.
How do I store leftover vitumbua?
Keep them in an airtight container for 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan or a 160°C (325°F) oven for 5 minutes to crisp the outside.
Are vitumbua gluten-free?
They are made with rice flour and no wheat, so they are naturally gluten-free. Check the label if you are avoiding gluten strictly.
How long does it take to make Vitumbua (Tanzanian Coconut Rice Cakes)?
About 45 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Vitumbua (Tanzanian Coconut Rice Cakes)?
About 380 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 59 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 380 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 17 g |
| Sodium | 200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
