A Swahili rice cake is a traditional African treat made from a blend of rice, coconut and sugar. This rice cake has a dry, bready consistency and a rich spiciness due to the addition of cardamom. Serve Swahili rice cake for dessert, breakfast or as a sugary side dish to any meal. Allow the rice to soak for 12 hours before you begin the preparation. After the Swahili rice cake batter is prepared, it must rise for an additional 12 hours before you can cook it. This recipe yields two rice cakes, or eight servings.
Step 1
Combine the active dry yeast, 1 tbsp. of the sugar and 2 tbsp. of the hot water in a small bowl. Stir the contents of the bowl to dissolve the sugar and leave it to stand for five minutes or until it is frothy.
Step 2
Pour the remaining water and the coconut cream into a mixing bowl. Stir the liquids until the coconut cream dissolves into the water.
Step 3
Transfer the rice and milk to a blender, and pulse the ingredients on high until they are smooth.
Step 4
Pour the contents of two bowls and the blender into a large mixing bowl. Add the cardamom seeds and stir to blend the mixture until it forms an even consistency.
Step 5
Cover the large mixing bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap, and place it in a warm area, such as a sunny window. Leave the contents of the large mixing bowl to rise for 12 hours.
Step 6
Add the remaining sugar to the large mixing bowl, and whisk until it dissolves into the mixture.
Step 7
Place the cake pan onto the stove top over low heat, and add half of the butter. When the butter has melted, pour half of the contents of the large mixing bowl into the pan.
Step 8
Allow the rice cake to cook for 10 minutes. While it cooks, preheat the broiler.
Step 9
Transfer the cake pan from the stove top to the broiler, and allow it to cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove it from the broiler, and turn the rice cake out on a clean surface to cool.
Step 10
Repeat the process with the remaining half of the butter and contents of the large mixing bowl. Allow the Swahili rice cakes to cool before serving them.
Tips and Warnings
- Refrigerate leftover Swahili rice cakes immediately and consume them within seven days.
Things You'll Need
- 1 tbsp. active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 2 cups white rice, soaked in cold water for 12 hours and drained well
- 2 cups milk
- Blender
- 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds
- Plastic wrap
- Whisk
- Round, 9-inch, stove-safe cake pan
- 2 tbsp. butter
References
- "Swahili Kitchen"; Elie Loseleben and Javed Jafferji; 2005
- "Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa"; Fran Osseo-Asare; 2005
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