Mkate wa Sinia (Rice and Coconut Cake)
This is a Mombasa delicacy which tastes wonderfully with tea especially in Ramadhan…anyone who's been to East Africa will probably know this dish, it's a delicious soft cake that has a wonderful silky sieve-like texture and tastes exotic and amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice the thick and stubby, broken pieces kind of rice is preferable
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 2/3 cup sugar you can use half cup if you want less sweetness
- 1 tsp. instant yeast
- 1 tbsp. margarine/butter
- cardamom powder
- small non-stick frying pan about 6 inches
Instructions
- Soak the rice overnight or for at least 5-6 hoursDrain the rice and pour half of it into the blender. Add the yeast and cardamom powder, half of the heavy coconut milk and half of the light coconut milk then add the remaining rice n the remaining milk so that the yeast and cardamon stays in between the layers of rice.Grind for about 5mins, stopping at intervals.For step by step instructions, please click HERE.Pour out the mixture, stir it with a wooden spoon and then pour it back into the blender and grind again for another 5mins. This makes sure that the rice is completely smooth.Pour into an airtight container, cover tightly and let it sit for about 20mins to half an hour. The mixture will have risen to about double the original amount.Pour in the sugar and stir it in thoroughly until it all dissolves. You can stir it in with your hand or a wooden spoon, avoid using metal spoon.Once you're sure that the sugar is completely dissolved, melt the 1tbsp of margarine in the frying pan you will be using to make the cake and pour this margarine into your mixture. Stir again with a wooden spoon.Pour half the mixture into the hot frying pan, lower the heat to just below medium and cover the pan. If you have 2 same size frying pans then u can do both at the same time. If not you can make the second cake once the first one is done! Turn on the grill in your oven to maximum so that it gets ready for browning the top of the cake once it's done cooking on the stove. Keep checking your cake every so often. Once the top of it has dried and looks firm, put the frying pan under the grill to brown the top. Make sure you protect the handle of your frying pan by covering it completely with foil so that it doesn't melt in the oven.Once done to a nice golden brown color, let it cool a bit before removing gently from the pan. Do not be tempted to cut into it until it is quite cool to the touch otherwise it will be a gooey mess.You can then use the same pan to make the 2nd one.Enjoy!
Notes
For serving, I prefer to make 2 small 6" cakes rather than on large.
Thanks for posting this I was looking for this recipe for exact measures Fauzia you have got recipes treasure!!
if im unable to get thick and light coconut milk, will any one kind do?
Yes any will do, dilute with water or milk to lighten it. It normally comes heavy.
Lovely….I tried this today and it was so yummy…thank you so much for the lovely recipe:):):):):):):)
Can I use power milk with powdered coconut ?
It would not give the same results, best to follow the recipe exactly.
Will it work if I use rice flour instaed of rice and what will be the measurement.
Yes you can substitute, same amount in cups.
Hi
I just wanted to know, when you say 6 inch pan, do you mean 6 inches in depth? Thanks
No my dear, 6 inch DIAMETER.
Aslm alykm mashallah u r amazing,was askin if i can bake direct in the oven i mean without using pan
W/Salaam, yes you can.
I tried the recipe the other day, but it didn’t rise much (so remained pretty thin) and the bottom slightly burned (even though I kept the heat low). Apart from that, it tastes exactly like the mikate I had in Lamu… so I would love to be able to fix it 🙂
Salams, is it possible to have printer friendly pages?
Thanks.
W/Salaam, at the moment this is the best we can do. 🙂
I would like to know the logic of using a wooden spoon and not using a metal spoon, is there a science behind it or is it a cooking myth.
LOL maybe a cooking myth. 🙂
mashallah tht is a good recipie
can i blend the mixture with sugar?? Or i must add it later. k
Best to add the sugar later.
Aslm Alkm. ukhty can i use basmati rice???And i only have the canned coconut milk, and its thick. is it ok if i use that??.Shukran in advance
Siz another question is how thick should the mixture be???
It should be of medium thickness.
W/Salaam, yes you can. And you can use the canned milk, dilute it with water for the light milk part of the recipe.
Jazakhallah Fauzia ….Asente
Jazakhallah Fauzia ….Asente sana dadangu ….
a.a … what about kama sina
a.a … what about kama sina oven, naweza pika na microwave? if yes, instructions please
W/Salaam, sorry I never cook
W/Salaam, sorry I never cook/bake using the microwave so cannot be of much help there.
Salams..this is the first
Salams..this is the first time I am posting anything on ur site…Mashallah I love your recipes they are perfect. I always look forward to new recipes:). Regarding Mkate Sinia I had one question. I have made it before and add 1 tsp baking powder. Your recipe doesnt say so…What is your expert view on that?
W/salaam, thank you so much!
W/salaam, thank you so much! Well normally I never add baking powder to mine because I find that the yeast is sufficient to help the mkate sinia to rise. Maybe the other recipe that uses it either does not use yeast or uses a smaller amount of yeast?
I made this and it turned out
I made this and it turned out incredible…taste was perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe. It is amazing that I have never made this before and how simple it is to make. Although one problem it did not rise as much as it should. Please can you tell me where could I have gone wrong? And yes is there an alternate to number of hours you can soak the rice instead of overnight? Will the results be the same?
Thanks for that fantastic
Thanks for that fantastic feedback! Yes you can soak it for at least 4 hours, the longer the soak the softer the grains so they get grinded faster and easier…and it also improves on the softness of the end result. As for rising, that could be the yeast…what sort of yeast do you use? Instant?
Thank your for such a
Thank your for such a fabulous step by step recipe and for responding to my question…much appreciated. Yes I used instant yeast and what about the frying pan size?
I used an 8 inch frying pan.
I used an 8 inch frying pan.
This is an amazing recipe.
This is an amazing recipe. Have been introducing my husband to African delicacies and he loved this. Will be making it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Salaams, the Mkate turned out
Salaams, the Mkate turned out delicious but it was little goey from inside and not firm like cake, can u plz advise where I went wrong. The pores were too stretched.
W/Salaam. Sounds like it
W/Salaam. Sounds like it needed just a little bit more time to cook through or you may have over measures the liquid ingredients. 🙂
Thank u Fauzia but I forgot
Thank u Fauzia but I forgot to mention tht I made it in a big frying pan instead of 2 small 6 ” cakes, could tht b the reason ?
Oh maybe that could be it.
Oh maybe that could be it.
asalam alaykum fauzia hope
asalam alaykum fauzia hope you are fine,can I use sufuria to make this?shukran,please reply
W/Salaam, yes you can.
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Slmz.. jzk for the lovely
Slmz.. jzk for the lovely recipes.. makte wa sinia turned out so yummy and it was very easy to make with your detailed instructions. i would also like recipe for mkate wa tambi please if you have.
Salaam. I love your recipes and feel very confident when making something as it always turns out amazing. I want to make mkate but Bec I have a small family want to half the recipe. Would that work ?
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
Hi Fauzia
Thanks for the recipes. I must have done something wrong. Mine was a disaster and not edible. it totally burned on gas at low. I kept it longer because top was not done. It totally was burnt and gooie
I used the canned creamy coconut. Please advice
Hi, am so sorry to know it didn’t turn out well for you. Please do give it a second go, dilute the coconut cream if it is too thick and make sure the pan you use is thick so as to prevent the batter from burning as it cooks.
Salaams I want make mkate Sinia, but I don’t have regular rice. Can I use basmati rice, please reply me soon
Assalam Aleikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh,
I tried it yesterday, maa shaa Allah it was so yummy may Allah bless the work of your hands.
Allahuma Ameen yaa rabb