East African Mandazi/Mahamri Recipe

Cooking is a hobby for me. As a trained chef, I appreciate food that is healthy and tasty.

What Is Mandazi/Mahamri?

Mandazi/mahamri is a popular East African snack that is similar to a lightly sweetened donut or fried bread. It can be eaten any time of day, but it is especially common for breakfast or with afternoon tea.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (for mandazi), or 1 teaspoon yeast (for mahamri)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 8 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• Oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a wide bowl.
2. Pour the milk or buttermilk slowly into the flour mixture as you knead to form a soft dough.
3. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes.
4. Knead the dough again and divide into 4 big balls.
5. Roll the dough and cut to the desired shape. For mandazi/mahamri with a fleshy crust, roll out a thick dough. If you prefer those that are hollow, roll out a thin dough.
6. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry the cut shapes for an average of 2 minutes, until they're golden brown.
7. Serve with your favourite beverage or stew.
8. Note: If you wish, you can substitute cinnamon or lemon zest for the coconut.

Knead to form a soft dough. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes.

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© 2019 Chef Sherrie

Comments

Cynthia on February 26, 2019:

I love this recipe..must try

Chef Sherrie (author) from Kenya on February 17, 2019:

The coconut in this recipe brings out the nutty flavour in the mandazi / mahamri.