Vilosa ( Sweet rice dumplings)

Vilosa are something you are likely to be served if you are visiting a Zanzibari home especially during the month of Ramadhan, or for any special dinner. The prominent ingredient of this delicacy are rice flour, coconut milk and cardamom. Some vilosa are prepared with samolina but I prefer mine with All purpose flour which makes them extra soft, especially once they are totally soaked with the saffron syrup.

To my understanding, vilosa are true Zanzibari in terms of origin, they actually resemble the modern vitumbua but they differ in taste. I have always preferred vilosa especially the way my grand mother makes them, hers are actually golden in color , well she can afford a lot of saffron! They do taste a lot richer and of course to top my vilosa I love to have them with Saffron tea...its out of this world.

Anyways, lets get back to these wonderful babies. You can use whole rice , you will need to soak it over night and then you will blend with the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

Yields 20 vilosas

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tspn yeast
1/4 tspn cardamom
pinch saffron
1 tspn vanilla or rose water
Ghee or oil for frying

Method:








Place all the ingredient except the oil in the blender and mix well. 

Put it in a big bowl and cover it

Let it rise

Please watch the video for visual idea on frying the vilosa

* If you wish to make more, you can double the recipe into 2