Senegalese Sombi
Abuja, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
Sombi is Senegalese rice pudding made with coconut milk rather than dairy, rice simmered slowly with coconut milk, sugar and a little salt until it thickens. Its simplicity is the reason it is so widely made. Four ingredients, one pot, and no technique beyond stirring and patience. It is a household dessert rather than a restaurant one, and it appears at family meals, at celebrations and during Ramadan. Being made with coconut milk rather than cow's milk matters practically as well as culturally. It keeps better in a hot climate without refrigeration, and it is suitable for the many adults who do not digest lactose well. The salt is not incidental. A small amount sharpens the sweetness and stops the pudding tasting flat, and leaving it out is the most common reason a home-made sombi disappoints. It is served warm most often, though it is also eaten chilled in very hot weather, and it is usually garnished with toasted coconut chips. Sombi belongs to a broad family of coconut rice puddings found wherever rice and coconut are both grown, from West Africa through South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.
AFN Heritage Note
Sombi is a Senegalese rice pudding made with coconut milk rather than dairy, served warm or chilled and traditionally garnished with coconut chips. It belongs to a wider family of coconut rice puddings found across regions where rice and coconut are both cultivated.
Ingredients
Dietary tags come from contributors and AFN does not verify them. They also depend on the products you buy. Recipes here are published for learning, not as medical or dietary advice. If you have an allergy or a medical condition, check every ingredient yourself and talk to a doctor or dietitian. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
In a pot, boil the rice with two cups of water, until it is soft.
- 2
In a separate saucepan, bring the coconut milk, coconut cream, and brown sugar to a gentle boil over low-medium heat. Stir continuously for 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved completely.
- 3
Add the rice and salt and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes.
- 4
Chill in the refrigerator and serve with coconut chips on top of the pudding.
Africook’s Notes
- Do not skip the salt. A small amount is what stops it tasting flat, and leaving it out is the usual fault.
- Stir often and keep the heat low. Coconut milk and rice both catch on the base easily.
- Use short or medium-grain rice. Long-grain stays separate and will not give the creamy texture.
- Toast the coconut chips before scattering them on, untoasted they add texture but little flavour.
Questions cooks ask
Can I use dairy milk instead of coconut?
You can, and you will have a perfectly good rice pudding, but it will not be sombi. The coconut is the defining ingredient and gives the dish both its flavour and its keeping qualities. Coconut milk is also what makes it suitable for people who avoid dairy.
Warm or chilled?
Most often warm, which is how it is usually served in Senegal. In very hot weather it is also eaten chilled, and it firms up considerably in the fridge. Both are correct, it is a matter of the day rather than the recipe.
Why is mine watery?
It needed longer. Sombi thickens as the rice releases starch and the coconut milk reduces, and that takes patience over a low heat. It also thickens noticeably as it cools, so a pudding that looks slightly loose in the pan will usually be right by the time it is served.
Reviews
Be the first to rate this recipe
Cooked it? Your rating helps the next person decide whether to try it.
No reviews on this one yet. If you have cooked it, yours would be the first.
