Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Lightly sweet East African fried dough, golden and fluffy. A Kenyan teatime favourite, lovely warm and easily scented with coconut or cardamom.
Mandazi are East Africa's answer to fried bread: lightly sweet, fluffy little dough pillows that sit somewhere between a doughnut and a scone. They turn up everywhere across Kenya and the Swahili coast, usually alongside a cup of chai. They take very little effort and are at their best eaten warm, soon after frying.
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Prep 25 min
Cook 15 min
Total 40 min
Easy
Scale:
- 750g Self-Raising Flour
- 6 tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Milk
Nutrition (per serving)
205
kcal
6g
Protein
40g
Carbs
2g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Tags:
Baking Breakfast Egg Warm Snack
Preparation
- Mix the flour, cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg into the milk.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour, pour in the milk and egg mixture, and slowly bring it together into a dough.
- Knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl and the surface looks smooth.
- Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm thick.
- Using a small sharp knife, cut it into whatever sizes you like and set them aside ready for frying.
- Heat the oil in a suitable pot and gently lower in the mandazi, frying until light brown on the first side, then turning to cook the second.
- Serve warm or cold. For a change, use coconut milk in place of the regular milk, or add desiccated coconut or spices such as cardamom to the flour.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Knead just enough to bring the dough together smoothly; work it too hard and the crumb turns tough.
- Give the dough a proper rest so it relaxes and fries up soft rather than chewy.
- Keep the oil at a moderate heat so the mandazi cook all the way through and colour gently without catching.
- For a Swahili-style version, work cardamom or coconut milk into the dough for a fragrant lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lightly sweet and fluffy, often scented with cardamom or coconut. They're far less sugary than a doughnut and go beautifully with tea or coffee.
They're best fresh and warm, but they'll keep for a day or two. A brief warming brings them back to life before serving.
Most likely the dough was over-kneaded or didn't rest long enough, or the oil was too cool. Handle the dough gently, let it rest, and fry at a steady moderate heat.
Swapping coconut milk for the regular milk gives the popular Swahili-coast flavour. A handful of desiccated coconut in the dough works well too.
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