Mandazi

Mandazi

Mandazi

Fried little donuts are a very popular street food throughout Africa. In West African countries, they make little donut holes called puff puff. In East African countries, they make a similar donut called mandazi. Mandazi are cut into triangular shapes. They have the flavors of coconut, cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Sometimes you will see them with a side of caramel sauce to dip them in.
This is a simplified version of the donut. The original version has yeast in the recipe, needing time for the mandazi to rise. There is also a baked version for those who don’t want to fry. I will touch base on these in future posts.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 minutes
Course: baked goods, Snack
Cuisine: African, East African
Keyword: african, baked goods, East African, snack
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp shredded coconut
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Mix together all of the dry ingredients.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Mix together all of the wet ingredients.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Mix together all of the wet and dry ingredients until a dough is formed.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Roll out dough to 1/2” thick on a lightly floured surface.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Cut triangular shapes out of the dough.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Fill up a small pot with an 1 1/2 of cooking oil over medium high heat. If using a thermometer, the oil should read 350 degrees. Add a few of the dough triangles to the oil. You will need to cook these in batches.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Fry for about 2 minutes a side. Drain on paper towel.
    African, baked goods, snack
  • Sprinkle the powdered sugar/cinnamon mix over the donuts while still warm.
    African, baked goods, snack