Mandazi
Makes: 16
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Mandazi
Originating from the Swahili coast, mandazi (sometimes called Swahili buns) are a type of fried bread flavoured with cardamom. Similar to doughnuts, although typically less sweet, they’re an essential part of breakfast culture in Kenya, served with tea or fruit juice. They’re usually served fresh from the fryer, but the spiced sugar coating adds a little extra sweetness
Makes: 16
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
223Kcal
Fat
5gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
40gr
Sugars
16gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
4gr
Salt
0.2gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 500g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (from about 20 pods)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 ltr to deep-fry
To finish (optional)
- 100g caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
Step by step
- Add the sugar and yeast to 250ml of lukewarm water, stir and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Put the flour, salt and cardamon in a free-standing mixer with the dough hook attached. Whisk the egg, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of oil together. Add the sugar-and-yeast water and the oil and egg mixture to the flour and mix until it comes together to a dough. Continue mixing for 5 minutes, or until you have a smooth dough. Alternatively, you can do this by hand, kneading for about 10 minutes.
- Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Leave to rise in a warm place for around 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into four. Roll each portion into a ball. Keeping the other 3 balls covered, roll out 1 ball into a circle measuring approximately 15cm in diameter, then cut into four like a pizza. Repeat with the other balls of dough, until you have 16 triangles.
- Fill a large pan with vegetable oil until it’s around 8cm deep. Heat to 180°C, or until a small piece of bread turns golden in 15 seconds. Fry the dough triangles for about 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Don’t overcrowd the pan – you will need do this in batches of 3-4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. If coating in sugar, mix the sugar with the cardamom (or cinnamon) and then toss the cooked mandazi in the sugar. Serve warm with tea, coffee, or fruit juice.
