This East African snack or as my kids call it doughnut, these sweet, triangles of fried dough are a staple of East African food culture. The coconut milk and cardamom add a unique mellow sweetness to the dough that doesn’t feel overly indulgent, it’s fluffy, and hollow on the inside, mildly sweet and crisp on the outside (If you have ever had beignets in New Orleans, you know where they originated from!) 

Growing up, these were made for us by our Mpishi/cook who was aptly called Kijiko/Spoon! He would meet us with a huge smile when we travelled to the farms, and these would be made hot for breakfast or sometimes served with Kuku paka (literally the chicken you would be chasing around all morning as a kid) or Mbaazi. 

The last time I had anyone make them for me, beside my Mum, was when I went back home, and whilst at the Serena in Zanzibar a lady sat right inside the dining room with her jiko, frying these delicious warm pillowy, mandazis, and the waiter would run them to your table!  Like all deep-fried food, they are best eaten freshly made. 

Here is my Mum’s recipe, and like all the handed-down recipes, the measurements rely on you having saved a tin the last time you used condensed milk, or having what she called a “mug”, note the addition of milk powder to keep them softer. 

Watch me make it here:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups All-Purpose flour 
• 1 cup coconut milk + 1/4 cup more*  
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3/4 cup oil or about 10 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast 
• 2 tablespoons Milk powder (I used Nido) 
• 1/4 teaspoon or pinch of Baking powder (optional I used it)  
• * Sesame seeds 
• * you can use whole milk if you don’t have coconut milk, or use coconut powder dissolved in water- depending on the strength of your All Purpose flour, you may need 1/4 more. 

Instructions: 

1. Whisk all-purpose flour, yeast, cardamom, and cup sugar, depending on your sweetness preference, in a large bowl to combine. 
   
   
2. Add lukewarm coconut milk and oil to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.  
   
   
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured tabletop and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes to a pliable dough which springs back when gently pressed, (alternatively, you can knead in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on medium speed for 8–10 minutes.) 
   
   
4. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until set aside to rise for about 45 minutes to 1  hour or until the dough has doubled in size. 
   
   
5. Transfer dough back to a lightly floured surface; punch the dough to remove all the air.   
   
   
6. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and form round balls.
   
     
7. Place all the balls on a baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for about 20 minutes. 
   
   
8. Roll each portion into ¼” thick x 4″ wide-circles. Cut each circle into 4 TRIANGLES. 
   
   * Sesame Variation: Slightly flatten a dough ball, dip the dough into a plate filled with sesame seeds, then roll out into a circle and cut into triangles. 
   
9. Place all the triangles on a baking sheet, sprinkled with flour. 
   
   
10. In a large wok, heat the oil to about 325° degrees. If the temperature is too low, the mandazi will not puff up, and if it’s too hot, it will burn on the outside but remain raw on the inside. 
    
    
11. Gently drop the mandazi pieces into the oil, few pieces at a time, without overcrowding the pan, they will sink to the bottom but will rise to the surface as it cooks, take a long ladle and spoon the oil on top of the triangles, this ensures they puff up and are hollow in the center. 
    
    
12. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, continuously flipping from one side to another until deep golden brown, about 5 -6 minutes. 
    
    
13. Using a large, spider spoon or slotted spoon, take the mandazi out of the oil and place onto paper towels to soak up the excess oil. 

Serve mandazi with Kahawa, Ginger tea, Karak Chai or as an accompaniment to Mbazi or Kuku Paka.   

Note:

Don’t let the dough rise for more than an hour in THE spring and summer months, otherwise you will end up with “doughy” bread like mandazi.

Don’t let the triangles rest for more than 10-15 minutes, again if you want hollow mandazi, otherwise it will start forming a bread-like texture.