Have you ever wondered what coastal foods taste like? Whether it is Arusha’s crisp, cool mountain air or Zanzibar’s soft, spice-laden breeze, hot chai, golden pillowy mandazi, and the sound of laughter with family… every bite is a taste of home.

This is another version of the classic treat, and it’s a good one, a “3‑Cup Version” recipe that yields about 25–30 mandazis. Some people love their mandazi smooth, but I am forever Team Stretch Marks-those golden lines of character that only homemade can give.

This 3-cup version is just one of many. I have shared other mandazi recipes and a bit of their history too-you can read more about them here: Mandazi or Heart-Shaped Mahamri .

Across East Africa, especially along the Swahili coast mandazi or mahamri are the breakfast MVPs. All over Kenya and Tanzania, you will often find families gathering over steaming cups of chai and serving these soft, lightly spiced doughnuts.

Granddads and dads often head out early in the morning or later in the afternoons to bring back the best, hot fried mandazi for weekend breakfasts, a breakfast that’s both simple and soulful, just what we all need as we wake up or slow down with afternoon tea.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast + ¼ cup warm water (to activate)
• 1½ cups warm milk or coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature (if using salted, reduce the pinch of salt)
• Oil for frying

Method

1. In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm milk.
2. Activate the yeast in warm water until frothy.
3. Mix flour, salt, and cardamom together.
4. Add yeast and warm milk into the flour. Knead well into a soft dough.
5. Work in the butter until smooth. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
6. Divide dough into balls, cover, and rest for 5–10 minutes.
7. Heat oil in a deep pan. Clip a thermometer to the side and bring to 325°F over medium heat.
8. Roll each ball into a flat round ⅓ inch (~8–9 mm, cut into four triangles.
9. Fry the triangles in batches, turning until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Watch me make it here:

Notes from my kitchen

Tips for Perfect Mandazi

Flip Once: Turn them just once when the underside is golden. This helps them puff evenly and form that signature white line or pale band around the middle.

Thickness Matters : Roll the dough to about 1/3 inch. Too thin and they will fry flat, too thick and they won’t puff properly.

Oil Temperature: Keep oil between 325–350°F (160–175°C). Too hot and the outside browns too quickly; too cool and they will soak up oil.

Don’t Crowd the Pan: Fry a few at a time so the oil stays hot and each mandazi has space to rise.

So tell me , are you Team Smooth or Team Starch Marks when it comes to mandazi? Have you ever chased that perfect white line or those streaks that make each batch unique? And if you try this 3-cup version, don’t forget to tag me @spicymemsahib so I can see your version too!