Immaculate Bites

African and Caribbean Recipes Made Easy

Home / Types / African Recipes / African Appetizer Recipes

Soft Mini Mandazi

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Author: Imma
Pin4.2kYummlyShares4.2k

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

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”gAbAUzQD” upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:39:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Soft Mini Mandazi” description=”Soft Mini Mandzi – East African Doughnuts made with grated coconut,  spiced with cardamon, nutmeg and fried to perfection.”]

soft mini mandazi
Print

Soft Mini Mandazi

Soft Mini Mandzi – East African Doughnuts made with grated coconut, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg and fried to perfection.
4.84 from 25 votes
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
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
Tag Us On Instagram!Did you make this recipe? I love hearing how it turned out! Tag me on Instagram @ImmaculateBites and be sure to leave a rating below!
Follow on Instagram

 

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.

 

IMG_5526 IMG_5527 IMG_5528 IMG_5530 IMG_5821 IMG_5823 IMG_5826 IMG_5828 IMG_5829

MANDAZI

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or recipe review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments & Reviews

  1. 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.

      • 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.

  2. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  13. 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!!