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1
Cook the Koba Starter
10 Mins • Medium Heat
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Put the 30 g of rice flour for the koba in a small saucepan with the 120 g of water for the koba and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture turns into a thick, smooth paste that is hard to stir. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Stir without stopping once the paste thickens, or it catches on the bottom of the pan; a hot koba would kill the yeast, so it must be fully cool before the next step.
Done when: A thick, glossy paste that holds its shape on the spoon and feels cool to the touch.
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2
Mix the Batter
5 Mins • Mixing
Room temperature — no heat
Put the remaining 290 g of rice flour, the sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the cooled koba, the coconut milk with the vanilla stirred in, and the remaining 120 g of water. Mix with your hand or a whisk until the batter is smooth and fairly thin, like thick cream, with no dry flour left.
Mixing by hand is the traditional way and makes it easy to feel when the koba has fully blended in — rub out any lumps against the side of the bowl.
Done when: A smooth, pourable batter with no lumps and no dry flour.
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3
Let the Batter Rise
60 Mins • Rising
Warm place, about 25°C (77°F)
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or lid and leave it in a warm place for 60 minutes. The batter should rise slightly and show small bubbles on the surface. When it is ready, stir in the baking powder gently, just until mixed.
A warm kitchen speeds the rise; in a cold kitchen, set the bowl near the stove or in an oven with only the light on.
Done when: Batter slightly risen, with small bubbles across the surface and a faint yeasty smell.
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4
Heat the Pan
2 Mins • Medium Heat
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Brush a small pan, a multi-cavity pancake pan or small moulds very lightly with oil and set over medium heat. Flick in a drop of water: it should sizzle and vanish in a second. If the oil smokes, the pan is too hot; lift it off the heat for a few seconds.
Too little oil and the cakes stick; too much and they fry instead of steaming soft. A thin film is enough.
Done when: Oil shimmers without smoking.
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5
Cook the First Side
15 Mins • Medium Heat
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Pour about 60 ml (1/4 cup) of batter into each mould or pan space, filling it about two-thirds full, and cover with a lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per batch until the tops look set and dry, with small holes across the surface and the edges pulling away from the pan. Work in batches of about 4 cakes until all 12 are cooking.
Keep the lid on while the first side cooks — the trapped steam is what puffs the cakes up. Do not lift it early to peek.
Done when: Tops set and dry with small holes, edges lifting away from the pan.
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6
Flip and Finish
8 Mins • Medium Heat
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Turn each cake with a small spatula and cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes until pale gold with a few deeper golden spots. The cakes must be cooked all the way through, with no wet batter inside. Slide each batch onto the cloth-lined plate and cover it to keep the cakes soft, then brush the pan lightly with oil again before the next batch.
The first cake is often the least perfect — cooks call it the test one. Eat it yourself and carry on; the rest will be better.
Done when: Twelve cakes, pale gold underneath, puffed and soft, with no wet batter in the centre.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Pile the finished cakes on a plate under a clean cloth so they stay warm and soft, and serve them while they are still warm, when the coconut and vanilla smell their best.
Madagascar
1h 55m
Vietnam
France