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Sombi (Senegalese coconut rice pudding)
Sombi: Dakar's soft rice pudding cooked in coconut milk with vanilla
Spooned warm from a pot at the Ramadan ndogu, the evening break of the fast, or eaten as a gentle supper on cool Dakar nights, sombi is the Senegalese take on rice pudding. Broken rice is simmered in water first, then in coconut milk and a little dairy milk until it turns soft and creamy, sweetened just enough and finished with vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg. The texture is looser than a baked rice pudding, almost porridge-like, with a clean coconut taste. Broken rice, sold as brisures in African shops, cooks fastest and gives the right silky feel. Avoid boiling hard once the coconut milk goes in, or it splits and turns greasy. Chef's tip: add the coconut milk only after the rice is half cooked in water, because grains boiled from raw in coconut milk stay hard and the fat can split.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz broken riceor short-grain pudding rice, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp grated or desiccated coconut, toasted (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 5 ½ oz broken rice, 2 cups water and 1 pinch salt in a heavy pan and bring to the boil. Simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until most of the water is absorbed and the grains are swollen but still firm in the middle.
15 minStep 2: Stir in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and 1 cup whole milk and bring back to a bare simmer.
4 minStep 3: Cook gently, stirring often and scraping the base, until the rice is completely soft and the pudding is creamy and coats the spoon.
18 minStep 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 pinch grated nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes more. It thickens as it stands, so take it off while still a little loose.
2 minStep 5: Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with 2 tbsp grated or desiccated coconut, toasted. Keeps 2 days in the fridge; loosen with milk when reheating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sombi (Senegalese coconut rice pudding) take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of broken rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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