Coconut Cardamom Mandazi

⏱ 90 min · Serves 6

Pillowy East African fried breads, softly sweet with coconut milk and perfumed with cardamom. Crisp at the edges, cloud-like inside — best torn open hot and dunked in strong chai.

Per serving: 455 kcal · 9.0g protein · 68.0g carbs · 17.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500g plain flour
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 tsp instant yeast (or 2 tsp baking powder for a quicker version)
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 200ml coconut milk, warmed slightly
• 30g butter, melted
• 800ml–1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
• Icing sugar, to dust (optional)

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and desiccated coconut.
2. Add the beaten egg, warm coconut milk and melted butter. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes until smooth and springy.
3. Cover and leave in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes, until noticeably puffed. (If using baking powder, skip straight to step 4 after a 10-minute rest.)
4. Knock back the dough and divide into 3 balls. Roll each into a 20cm circle about 1cm thick, then cut into 6 wedges.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan to 170C. Test with a scrap of dough: it should rise and sizzle gently, not brown instantly.
6. Fry the mandazi in batches of 4–5, turning once, for 2–3 minutes total until deep golden and puffed. Don't crowd the pan.
7. Drain on kitchen paper. Dust with icing sugar if you like and eat warm with chai, coffee or mango jam.