Mandazi is a special side dish for breakfast across East Africa. Some people call it African donuts, and that’s okay. Anyone can make it based on regular recipes, but we seek ways to create soft, delicious Mandazi.

My Mama’s recipe is the simplest to follow, yet she makes the softest delicious mandazis. For the longest time, I didn’t understand why mine couldn’t just come out as great as hers until she told me her secret. But other than that, of course, practice makes perfect.

If you have eaten oily, tough mandazis, you will know why I insist on making the softest mandazis ever.

Unfortunately, for those of us on a sugar-free diet, this is not for us to take. But if you want to have a simple cheat day, then do so; make sure you don’t eat mandazis all the time.

Soft, delicious mandazi recipe

I don’t encourage adding many ingredients to a meal because I believe that simplicity goes a long way. However, if you like, you can always add lemon rinds, butter, and milk to flavor it more. All these aren’t mandatory, but they enrich the Mandazi.

Ingredients

4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup Melted butter/margarine or just vegetable oil.
1 tbsp lemon rinds
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup of warm water or milk.
Oil for deep frying

Method

Make the lemon rinds

Make the lemon rinds by fast-grating the exterior of the lemons using the small side of a grater. For the best flavor, use only fresh lemons. Two to three lemons are enough, depending on the size.

Mix the dry ingredients.

In a clean bowl, add the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix everything, and then add the butter or margarine and mix in properly. It should form a crumble-like flour texture. Add the lemon rinds and mix well.

Add the wet ingredients.

Next, create a well at the centre of the flour and other dry ingredients, then add water or milk. I mostly use water as it’s still great tasting. But if you like the ones made using milk, add them here.

Knead it

Start by mixing everything to incorporate the water into the flour. This will help to form a shaggy mass of dough. Next, set this mixture on a clean table surface and knead it. Keep kneading for about 6-8 minutes.

It should become smooth and elastic, a texture you can achieve even with a stand mixer.

Let it rest

Cover it with a damp cloth or cling film and let it sit for at least 1 hour. According to Mum, this step is crucial to the great mandazis. She makes her dough after dinner, allows it to rest overnight, and cooks the mandazis in the morning.

Of course, I’ve tried to make the mandazis after 30 minutes, but they’re never as perfect as when you let them sleep in. Let them sit for about 3 hours or overnight, and you will see the difference. They will always rise slightly and rest, too. Note that we don’t use yeast, so they won’t double in size.

Roll it

Lightly flour your working surface and then set the dough to roll it out. You want to roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness. Then cut the mandazis into your favorite shapes. You can make it all here: square, rectangle, triangle, or circular.

Fry it

Meanwhile, set the oil on the heat source to cook. You want to retain the medium heat during the cooking process, but also you can use a small piece of dough to find out if it’s cooked. If the small dough goes deep into the oil and immediately rises, it’s ready for cooking.

Set a few pieces of your cutout dough, let it rise, flip over, and cook to a golden brown before you flip over to cook fully.

Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set in a clean bowl, letting it cool down a little bit. Do the same for the remaining pieces.

Serve

Serve warm with your favorite tea or just mandazis as a snack without any drink. Some people even serve it with beans and then a drink.

Enjoy your mandazis

Note

Take care when frying, as hot oil can cause major burns.
Don’t overfill the frying pot with the mandazi pieces, as it will make them hard to fy and finish cooking.

FAQs

Should I use eggs?

Some people use an egg. Enriching your Mandazi with an egg is okay, but it’s not a major ingredient, so use it if you like.

What makes it soft?

How you make your dough matters. The ratio of ingredients and the addition of margarine during dough-making will make it soft. Also, Mandazi shouldn’t stay in the oil longer; the oil should be nice and hot before you start frying.

Give the mandazi enough rest time to soften and rise. I’ve found this to be the best part of making it soft and with a perfect texture.

Does it get bad?

Like any other food, mandazis will get bad if you don’t store them properly. After eating the mandazis, take the leftovers and set them in a clean container, but make sure you use them within three days. They’re just like bread and start getting stale after three days.

Is there any special flour to use for this?

All-purpose wheat flour and bread flour are all great for this use.

Can I use water instead of milk?

Traditionally, we use water; there is no need to add milk.

Is Mandazi healthy?

It’s often readily available but not among the best choices for a healthy diet. Remember you have to fry it in oil, which means you consume excessive oil. Also, it has sugar and is not the best choice if you’re on a sugar-free diet.

Take it if you want to, but once in a while, I mean, it’s just like bread, and we all know that if we want to sustain a healthy lifestyle, we have to skip bread.

Where is it common?

It’s a common choice in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. We eat it as a snack and as part of our breakfast meals. Try it when you want something different and enjoy it.

Is mandazi the same as mahamri?

No, they aren’t the same. They have the same concept: they use wheat to make the dough, and we fry Mahamri, too, but the ingredients vary. Mahamri is common along the East African coastline. We also make it with coconut milk, cardamom, and yeast.

The Mandazi, though, is common outside of the coastline. We also use baking powder, water, and flour. They differ in flavor and thickness, too. Mahamri is the hollowest, while Mandazi is the thickest.

They are all great, but you may prefer one over the other depending on the region you are from in East Africa.