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Soft Mini Mandazi

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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

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.
4.85 from 20 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 Âľ 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)
  • ÂĽ 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: Immaculate Bites
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. Amira says

    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. samuel says

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

    Reply

  4. naz says

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

    Reply

  6. Flavoured says

    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

      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

  8. Nicole says

    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

      You sure can.
      Refrigerate the mandazi after you have shaped it. Cover tightly for up to 24 hours. Let them sit out on the counter for about 30 minutes before frying . Hope this helps

      Reply

  11. Leesa says

    Just a suggestion – when proofing yeast, it’s generally a bad idea to put the salt in with it, since the salt will actually kill it! Better to let it proof in the warm water with sugar first, and add the salt later.

    Reply

  14. Tam says

    Hi,
    I’d like to try your recipe. I’ve made half-cake mandazi and am curious what the texture is of your mini mandazi. Are they cakey or more airy/hollow inside?

    Reply

  15. Meow says

    Hello, is there something i could replace the coconut flakes in the recipe with? Google suggested dried cranberries or nuts, but im not sure how that will affect the flavor

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi !Make it without coconut flakes. If you can’t use it. Cranberries will definitely affect flavor profile .

      Reply

      • Meow says

        okay, i must confess- i went ahead and made them with cranberries before i got your reply >< next time, i will try to make them without cranberries or coconut, for comparison, but i loved these as well ^^

        Reply

  16. Paula Bulemi says

    What? I couldn’t believe this until I tried and mhhh the result was awesome my bowl was empty in 10 minutes and we were only 5 pple around thanks Imma for the recipe.

    Reply

  17. Kris says

    Just made a batch of these for a guest from Tanzania tonight – they turned out delicious!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      No, I would lest it rise first . Then shape and freeze. When ready to make. Bring to room temperature and fry.

      Reply

  21. Lyndsay Fischer says

    We made these for my daughter’s geography fair tonight–my daughter chose Kenya. While many others has displays that were works of art, her food was by far the best! Thanks for a great, easy recipe!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      AWESOME! Who cares about works of art anyways. It’s all about how food taste. So happy to hear this. And thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

      Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Probably the measurements and/ or yeast. Did it double before you fried them? If this happens again then add about a tablespoon of butter and go from there. Hope this helps

      Reply