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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 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: 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. Beatrice says

    wooow thanx for the recipe. I followed it step by step n it came out perfect. doubting Thomases pliz try it works.gudozzzz imma

    Reply

  3. Caroline says

    Hello,

    I would like to make the mandazi for the next day so I just have to fry the next day. Can I mix everything and keep it overnight and if yes, where can I put it (fridge, outside) and for how long would be the max.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Yes, you can! Make it then cut and place in a single layer on a baking pan/sheet. Cover and store for about 24hours in the fridge. That’s the maximum amount of time I have tried. When ready to fry remove, let it rest for about 30 minutes then fry.

      Reply

      • Kathy says

        If I mix everything and leave overnight,does it have to be in the fridge and does it need to be cut in pieces ? Can I cover and leave in warm place?
        Looking forward to making these tomorrow ☺

        Reply

        • ImmaculateBites says

          Yes, it does have to be in the fridge to prevent over-fermentation.Outside will yield a strong yeasty flavor .But you can make it, let it rise first and then refrigerate. Remove and cut the day off.

          Reply

          • Catherine says

            OMG!! I might as well say bye bye to my waistline. My new guilty pleasure :-)I used half plain flour and half wholemeal and they turned out great. Thank you for the recipe.

          • ImmaculateBites says

            You and I both Catherine! So love these Mandazi! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

  4. Lauren says

    Great recipe! I used coconut milk and added some finely flaked coconut along with flour. I am making them for a Kenyan friend and I think she’ll like them!

    Reply

  5. Conniey Mwasaru says

    Thanks Immaculate for the recipe……i will try and see if my Mandazi becomes softer…Thank you.

    Reply

  7. Kiprotich Robinson says

    Immaculate thanks for the recipe,I really like mandazi and i wll try out these. so i need help with some words,mostly what is evaporated milk?

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Evaporated milk is milk that is more concentrated, usually sold in cans. You can sub with with regular milk.

      Reply

  16. Morten says

    Just tried this recipe and I loved it. My wife is from south sudan and I Just Scored a lot of points with her. Thank You

    Reply

      • Ishmael says

        Hello. Glad to read your recipe. I plan to start a mandazi business and I find the recipe quite appealing. With the ingredients, will I really make a profit, if a make sizes for 10/-? How about their shelf life? Plz, advise.

        Reply

        • ImmaculateBites says

          Hi Ishmael, would love to be of help but unfortunately am not the right person you should be asking . I only make this for friends and family. It’s best severed warm. Doesn’t taste too good the next day.

          Reply

  17. Betty says

    Hi Immaculate, thanks soo much for the recipe. I have tried for years to cook Mandazi
    But they are always too hard. I tried your recipe but the problem is the measurements… I never understand what does one cup flour is equal to? Coz cups are of different sizes. Do you have it in Ml? Your Mandazi’s looks yummy!!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi Betty! I always use standard measuring cups in all my recipes. One cup flour equals 4.5 ounce or 125 grams. Flour is best measured in gram or ounce. I think the reason why looks are too hard is the flour ratio. Hope this help. Please let me know how it works out. Thanks.

      Reply

  19. Debrah says

    Hello immaculate, l love your recipes. Kindly assist me. How do l make my mandazi not to be oily after deep frying? Thanks

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi Debrah! If you fry your mandazi at a lower temperature they’ll absorb too much oil in the process and turn oily . So make sure you keep it at a consistent temperature.

      Reply

  20. CVPIII says

    How many pieces, about, does this make, estimated? I need enough for 15 people, but it doesn’t need to be full portions. How many batches do you suggest I make?

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      It makes about 25- 30 mini mandazis -It all depends on what else you are serving , if there are other heavy dishes then just make 2 batches. Please let me know how it works for you . THanks

      Reply

  21. linda says

    Tried the recipe awesome but next time I’ll reduce the sugar not so much of a sweet teeth.I used 3tsp baking powder instead of yeast turned out ok

    Reply

  22. Mumtaz Saiyed says

    Hi Immaculate:

    This recipe looks great. Am going to try it and will let you know how it turned out. Read a couple of recipes and they suggest to let it rise again after rolling and cutting and than frying them. What is the difference if i did do that although it will take more time. Also if I added only 1/2 tsp Nutmeg and the other 1/2 tsp use the Cinnamon with the icing sugar to coat the Mandazi, will it give a strong taste or will taste better.
    Thanks will be waiting for your reply before trying the recipe.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi Mumtaz, letting the dough rise twice makes for better texture and adds flavor. Though I hardly notice with this dough. You should experiment and see if it is worth the extra time. Your spice suggestion is great! I think it would enhance the recipe. Let me know how it works for you!

      Reply

  23. Sumayah says

    Hi, which is better to use evaporated milk or coconut milk? I do not have coconut flakes, can I use desiccated coconut instead? Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi Sumayah. I would say evaporated milk because it is more concentrated. Yes, you can. Let me know how it works for you. Thanks

      Reply

      • Caroline Mugambi says

        Thanks. I love this recipe. I went to supermarket to buy the ingridients but forgot eggs. And as i looked through this page. I found the question of cooking without eggs.

        Reply

  28. reya says

    Hi, Immaculate, i really really need help with this fabulous recipe, i made a moment ago and was kinda sad..it is hard on the outside like crunchy…but cooked inside, that small problem, could you please help?? Thanks!!

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Reya, what temp are you using to fry the mandazi? It should be on 350 degrees.F Try reducing the temp and see how it goes.

      Reply

      • reya says

        yes, the temperature was fine, is it maybe because of i added a little flour for dusting, or do you know any other reason why any type of fried dough would become hard on outside? That would help thanks!!

        Reply

  34. Emma says

    Hi Mary, how long do these last? I have to do an event and I was wandering if I have to do them on that day or if the night before will suffice?

    Reply

    • Mary says

      Emma, I did some the day before and the same day in my trial run (warming the ones from the day before in the oven). I could not tell the difference so, for the event, I did them the day before…worked great!

      Reply

  37. Mary says

    I keep forgetting to tell you that it went great, they were a hit! They also warmed up very well in the oven (in a covered casserole) , in case anyone wonders. Thanks!

    Reply

  39. Mary says

    I just did a “trial run” by halving the recipe…OH MY GOODNESS they are good! 😉
    I did notice that the egg wasn’t mentioned in the first mix of ingredients. I just put it in with the milk (coconut) etc. I left out the shaved coconut since I used the coconut milk. The 1/2 recipe actually made about 32 but I made them small. Can’t wait to share and we’ll have a copy of the recipe with your website cited.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Super excited you liked it Mary. Thank you so much for the feedback . You don’t know how much I appreciate you spreading the word. Thanks again.

      Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Mary, my rough estimate would be about 25-30 bite-size pieces and can feed about 5- 6 people.(I start eating this as soon as it comes out of the fryer- watch yourself!) Let me know how it works out for you. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  42. ursa says

    Your pictures “how make it” in single recipes is the best part and makes everythings so easy. I’m not scare any more cooking. Thanks.
    Ursa, Kapsztad.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Right. It is a fried dough week Karen. You know what? It is a fried dough week every week for me . Shhhhh don’t tell anyone.

      Reply
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