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Home / Types / African / African Appetizers

Soft Mini Mandazi

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Author: Imma Published:3/19/2014Updated:5/22/2021
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Soft Mini Mandzi – East African doughnuts made with grated coconut, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg, and fried to perfection. Soft Mini Mandazi So I guess it is no secret that I love fried dough, you can tell by all puff-puffs, and doughnuts that I have featured here on this blog. Not to talk of this other Mandazi featured here. I am SUPER excited to present this one – Soft Mini Mandazi. Man, you are going to love this! Soft Mini Mandazi Mandazi is a slightly sweet East African Street Food; spicy, airy yeast doughnut made with coconut milk, flavored with cardamom and grated fresh coconut/coconut flakes Soft Mini Mandazi It can be made with yeast or baking powder. However, I love the depth of flavor that yeast adds to this dough, so my first choice is yeast; unless you need a quick fix – then replace the yeast with baking powder and let it rest for 10 minutes before frying. Mini Soft Mandazi Trust me. I have been reading your comments and emails about mandazi and a lot of your complains have been about them being too tough or stringy after a while. Folks, rejoice, because this is not! They are bite size, tender and AMAZINGLY good. Don’t believe me? Make it and see for yourself. Before you make these addictive bites, here are some tips to keep in mind before you proceed.Soft Mini Mandazi          Make sure the water is not too hot. You don’t want it warmer than body temp. In order for your mandazi to be fluffy, it has to double in size; be patient with it (it might take longer for some days depending on weather and the internal temperature of your kitchen). If your mandazi does not rise in an hour, try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Then, turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven.

If all else fails, mix rapid rise yeast into the dough and knead it. You may switch out evaporated milk with coconut milk. It is best to use freshly ground cardamom for this recipe; you get a hint of crushed seeds as you bite into the dough for an enjoyable experience.

Watch How to Make It

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soft mini mandazi
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Soft Mini Mandazi

Soft Mini Mandzi – East African Doughnuts made with grated coconut, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg and fried to perfection.
4.82 from 22 votes
Prep: 1 hr 30 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 1 hr 50 mins
African
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) warm water
  • 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • Evaporated milk (5 ounce , 147ml can) or ¾ cup canned coconut milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup , (100 g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 – 4 cups all purpose flour (435- 500 grams)
  • ¼ cup grated coconut or coconut flakes
  • 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom spice
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg or cinnamon
  • powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to sprinkle
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • In a large bowl add the warm water, evaporated milk, salt, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. Add egg mix.
  • Then add 3 ½ cups flour, cardamom, nutmeg, grated coconut and continue mixing by hands or in a stand mixer .
  • Turn dough on a lightly floured surface, knead dough until all the ingredients have been fully incorporated and the dough is not too sticky, when touched, gradually add the remaining flour if you need to, err on the side of less flour than more flour. Mix dough until smooth about 1 -2 minutes.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover Loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled.
  • Roll out dough in to 1 inch thick. Cut in bite size
  • In a large, sauce pan pour vegetable oil, until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high (too little will result in flatter mandazi and place on medium heat until oil is 350 degrees.
  • Fry until golden brown about 3-5 minutes depending on size. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper napkin. serve warm

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 118kcal (6%)| Carbohydrates: 20g (7%)| Protein: 2g (4%)| Fat: 3g (5%)| Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)| Cholesterol: 27mg (9%)| Sodium: 402mg (17%)| Potassium: 67mg (2%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 16g (18%)| Vitamin A: 40IU (1%)| Calcium: 7mg (1%)| Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
Author: Imma
Course: Snack
Cuisine: African
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Nutrition Facts
Soft Mini Mandazi
Amount Per Serving
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 402mg17%
Potassium 67mg2%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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MANDAZI

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Comments & Reviews
  1. Paul says

    Posted on 5/16 at 3:20AM

    What if i want to make more mandazis….. Can i double the recipes?

    Reply
    • Immaculate Bites says

      Posted on 5/17 at 5:05AM

      Yes you can, Paul 🙂

      Reply
  2. Amira says

    Posted on 5/1 at 5:34AM

    I have tried several mandazi recipes and yours by far is the best! Thank you so much for sharing! This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply
  3. Grace Nthiana says

    Posted on 3/16 at 5:08AM

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. My mandazi turned out very well. thanks Imma

    Reply
  4. samuel says

    Posted on 11/2 at 5:17AM

    thanks thy really worked for me even if I baked with out cardamom . BT how can thy star without being spoiled?

    Reply
  5. naz says

    Posted on 7/9 at 6:23AM

    can i substitute the coconut milk/evaporated milk for normal milk? and leave out the coconut flakes totally? thanks

    Reply
    • imma africanbites says

      Posted on 7/11 at 12:54PM

      Yes, you can. Please check out this link for more info on substituting evaporated milk >>> https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/evaporated-milk-substitute/ . And yes you can leave out the coconut flakes.

      Reply
  6. Rose says

    Posted on 12/24 at 6:55PM

    Add more recipes for more delicious meals

    Reply
  7. Flavoured says

    Posted on 9/16 at 9:54PM

    Mmmh, wonna try this but what are the grams(for solids) and litres(for liquids) equivalents of the recipe amounts? Cups and spoons come in various sizes.

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 9/21 at 8:48PM

      I have updated recipe

      Reply
      • Rose says

        Posted on 12/24 at 6:53PM

        thanks for the recipe. i hv just baked them ready to prepare them for family. will update you on how sweet they are. happy xmas and happy new year.

      • ImmaculateBites says

        Posted on 12/24 at 8:37PM

        Can’t wait! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!

  8. Olaitan Toyin says

    Posted on 6/25 at 2:42PM

    Am a Nigerian. What is cardamon?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 6/25 at 2:58PM

      Cardamon is a fragrant spice that is used in cooking. It has a very pungent aroma . Sub with your favorite spice or omit and use nutmeg instead.

      Reply
  9. Nicole says

    Posted on 5/24 at 12:28AM

    5 stars
    Very tasty! I needed something for my son’s international food fair to represent Kenya and while I love all the Kenyan stews, they don’t serve up well in a pre-school picnic setting. These were a hit. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 5/24 at 5:35PM

      Awesome! Thanks for letting me know . Glad to hear it worked out well

      Reply
  10. Nia-Lael Wangia says

    Posted on 4/4 at 5:53PM

    5 stars
    I am planning on making this for my 13th birthday party as a party favor. What do you think would go well with mandazi? Would M&Ms be ok?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 4/6 at 7:44AM

      Hi Nia! I would go with some sort of sweet dip like chocolate or caramel. If you can’t… then throw in some M&M

      Wishing you all the best on your Birthday!!!

      Reply
      • Grace says

        Posted on 5/19 at 10:14AM

        Best mandazi recipe ever thanks!

      • ImmaculateBites says

        Posted on 5/21 at 9:04AM

        Thank you so much!!!

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