Mandazi are delicious staple bites that you can’t miss at any food joint or shop in the country; even in the remotest of places.
Whether you love eating them for breakfast alongside your cup of sweet tea, or you enjoy eating them as a snack, warm, freshly made mandazi just slap differently; especially homemade mandazi.
Here is a step-by-step simple guide to cooking soft, mouth-watering mandazi that will elevate your cooking skills to the next level.
Ingredients.
You will need the following ingredients to cook your mandazi:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour, and a little extra for dusting.
- 1 tsp of baking powder.
- 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- 1/2 cup of warm milk.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional).
- Enough oil for frying
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cardamom (optional).
Next, add a tablespoon of oil and warm milk into the mixture and stir using a wooden spatula until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
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After the dough has rested, divide it into four portions, then start with one portion and roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into small triangles or rectangles and repeat this step with the remaining dough portions.
Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat until it's hot.
Once the oil is hot, carefully add the mandazi to the pan, a few at a time, and deep fry the mandazi for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown.
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Remove the mandazi from the oil using a skimmer and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Enjoy your homemade mandazi!
Serving Suggestion
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Mandazi are best served warm, with tea for breakfast, or as a midday snack with your coffee.
FAQs About Cooking Mandazi.
Q: Can mandazi be cooked without milk?
A: Yes, you can cook mandazi without milk. If you are allergic to milk or you just don’t want to use it, you can substitute it with either coconut milk or warm water of the same measurement in your ingredients.
Q: What causes mandazi to be hard?
A: One of the reasons that might make your mandazi to turn out hard is the texture of your dough. Make sure that your dough is soft and stretchy when rolled out to get soft mandazi. This can be achieved by not adding too much flour when kneading your dough.
Additionally, also make sure to add a little oil to the ingredients when making the dough as it will help to soften it.
Q: Can you leave mandazi dough overnight?
A: Yes, it’s okay and even recommended to leave your mandazi dough to rest overnight before cooking, especially if your home is quite cold as this will give your dough enough time to rise.
If you leave your dough in the fridge, make sure you let it come to room temperature before cooking your mandazi.
Q: Why are my mandazi not cooked inside?
A: If you let your oil get too hot, your mandazi might get burnt on the outside while the inside remains raw.
If you have a kitchen thermometer, you can use it to check the temperature of the oil. Once it gets to 180˚C, you can cook your mandazi. Alternatively, if you don’t have a thermometer, you can drop a small piece of dough into the oil. When the dough browns, then you know your oil is hot enough and you can proceed to cook your mandazi.
Read Also: How To Cook Delicious Omena.