Sweet and addictive mandazi, East African yeast doughnuts, boast the perfect amount of sweet spiciness and airy yeastiness. The coconut milk, cardamom, and grated coconut create a breakfast-worthy snack perfect with a steaming cup of chai!
We enjoy all kinds of street food in Africa, whether East, West, or South. Most notable on the list is the undeniably popular puff puff in West Africa. On the other side of the continent, in the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, you can enjoy mouthwatering mandazi (also known as maandazi, ndao, mahamri, and mamri).
I grew up eating puff puff, and then later, I was introduced to mandazi, which is similar to puff-puff. I was hooked on mandazi’s complexity that sets it apart from its Western counterpart. By the way, I’m so torn between my childhood snack and this new favorite. Someone help!
What Makes Mandazi a Different Doughnut
Mandazi, a spicy (flavor-packed, not hot), airy yeast dough made with coconut milk and cardamom, is a nice way to introduce you to the joys of East African street food. While a lot of cultures use coconut, not everyone pairs it with cardamom.
This versatile treat can be made with yeast or baking powder. I love the depth of flavor that yeast adds to dough, so my first choice is the yeasted version. However, if you need a quick fix, then replace the yeast with baking powder and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before frying.
Another difference in these fried dough treats is that they’re not meant to be as sweet as regular doughnuts. Slightly sweet would best describe them. And freshly ground cardamom is best for this recipe, as you get pops of flavor as you bite into the crushed seeds, which is an enjoyable experience.
How to Make Mandazi
- Mix the yeast with the wet ingredients, and wait for the yeast to activate. Beat the egg, add it to the mixture, then crush the cardamom, and add it with the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients, knead, and let it rise.
- Roll the dough out, cut it into triangles, and fry up your fresh mandazi.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- An electric coffee grinder does a great job with minimal effort to crush cardamom seeds. A mortar and pestle requires more energy, but it also works.
- If the dough is still sticky, knead in another ¼ cup of flour a bit at a time until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Sometimes, if you let it rest for 10-20 minutes, the flour will absorb more moisture and become less sticky.
- You may need more or less flour depending on the protein content and the weather (humidity and temperature.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Mandazi is best served fresh out of the frying pan with chai or as a snack. Unfortunately, it gets tough and stringy after a while. However, you can make the dough ahead and let it ferment in the refrigerator for a day or two. I’ve even left the dough in the fridge for almost a week, and the flavor was that much better.
You can freeze or refrigerate leftovers. Since they’re fried, I usually wrap them in a paper towel to keep them crisp, then store them in a ziplock bag. They’ll last up to a week in the fridge and two months in the freezer.
More Fabulous Doughnut Recipes
This blog post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful photos.