Mandazi

I never knew about Mandazi until very recently when I was speaking to my Kenyan 'Aunty' about what is best to have with Masala Chai. She told me it is often had with Mandazi, she described Manadazi as the the East African 'Puff Puff'- as the ingredients are quite similar. This was the way a West African like myself could imagine what it's like.. Apart from it being described as similar to Puff Puff, it is also called 'African Doughnut' and I see why because it does taste similar to doughnut. In my opinion, it taste more like doughnut than puff puff! It is also easier to make than puff puff. And personally I prefer it to puff puff *covers face*- not just because it's easier to make in terms of technique but also in terms of taste. I know I'm supposed to be rooting for the West African side that I represent but I just have to be honest! Anyways let's get into the recipe.

Ingredients. (makes 8-16 pieces)

- 1 & 1/2 cup Plain Flour

-1/2 cup of warm milk (it's best to use coconut milk for flavour but fresh milk will do)

-1 medium egg (1/2 of it when beaten)

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

-2 tbsp white sugar

-1/4 tsp of salt

-1 tsp of Instant Yeast

-1/4 tsp ground cardamom (I'm not a massive fan of cardamom so essentially I use a pinch, all it does is to give flavour)

- Vegetable oil for deep frying (1/2 - 1 litre of oil depending on the size of pan you're using)

Utensils

-Medium size bowl

-Medium size pan for deep frying or deep fryer

-Baking sheet

-Knife or pizza cutter

Process

1) In a bowl, mix the milk, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, sugar, cardamom, yeast, egg (beat the egg and use just half of it) and salt together.

2) Add the flour in bit by bit and mix together. Then knead the dough on a flat clean surface until the dough isn't as sticky any more.

3) Put the dough back into the bowl and cover it. Keep in a warm place in order to allow the dough to rise- this will take about an hour.

4)After the dough has risen, knead it for couple of minutes. Then divide it into 2 portions using a knife. (You can divide this into 4 portions if you want the size of your mandazi to be smaller- if you divide into 4 portions, this will give you the 16 portions)

5) Sprinkle flour to a clean surface, take one portion of the dough ball and then using a rolling pin, roll it out into a circle- about 4inches wide. Don't roll it out too thin, let it still be a little bit thick. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, divide the circle into 2 or 4 depending on how many pieces you're looking to make per dough ball. Repeat the process with other dough balls. You can lay the pieces out on a baking sheet.

6) Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. When it is hot, put in the cut up dough pieces in- do not put in too much. Maybe 2- 3 triangles at a time depending on the size of your pan or deep fryer. Allow to deep fry for about 1 minute until golden brown. Take it out and allow it to drain in bowl with kitchen/paper towel.

7) Enoy as you desire!

You can sprinkle icing sugar (or just regular sugar) on it for that sweet kick. You can also enjoy it with Masala Chai as mentioned earlier. Check out my Masala Chai recipe here.

In summer, I think this will go best with a cold glass of Nigerian Zobo!