Mandazi (also spelled as maandazi or maandaazi, and also called mahamri or mamri ) is a form of fried bread that originated in Eastern Africa in the swahilli coastal areas of Kenya and Tanzania. It is still popular in the region, as it is convenient to make. It can be eaten with almost any food or dips or just as a snack by itself. You can freeze the leftover and heat it when needed.
Mandazi is similar to doughnuts, but has less sugar and it has cardamom, so it does taste different.
Mandazi is either Triangle, round or oblong and when fried they are fluffy.
The locals in East Africa have this for breakfast. At 10.00a.m the venders come out in a cart to sell it. You can also get it in local Cafes.
We often have Mandazi and Bharazi(pigeon peas cooked in coconut milk) for brunch on a Sunday morning.
Makes 18
Ingredients
- 3 cups White Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 8-10 seeds Cardamom seeds (crushed)
- 1 level dessert spoon Baking Powder
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
- In a bowl mix the first 4 ingredients.
- Rub in the oil.
- Add the yoghurt and enough water to make a stiff dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and leave it for 5 hours or overnight.
- Divide the dough in 4 and roll out each to ¼ inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 3” cookie cutter or you can cut rolled out dough into 6 triangles.
- Deep fry in med hot oil till golden brown.(Your oil is hot, when you put the handle of the wooden spoon in and the oil bubbles around the handle).
- Drain it on Paper towel.