Mandazi
Lightly cardamom-scented East African fried bread made with canned coconut milk and yeast. These vegan mandazi fry up puffed, tender, and gently sweet.
- african
- all-purpose flour
- baking project
- breakfast
- brunch
- cardamom
- coconut milk
- dairy-free
- deep-fried
- dessert
- east african
- egg-free
- entertaining
- family-friendly
- fried bread
- fried dough
- make-ahead dough
- mandazi
- nut-free
- plant-based
- snack
- soy-free
- street food
- swahili coast
- vegan
- vegetarian
- Cuisine
- East African
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Cook this recipe
- vegetable oil-48 fluid ounces
- canned full-fat coconut milk-1 can
- all-purpose flour-4 3/4 cups
- granulated sugar-1/3 cup
- active dry yeast-2 1/4 teaspoons
- fine salt-1 teaspoon
- ground cardamom-3/4 teaspoon
In a small saucepan, whisk the canned coconut milk with 1 tablespoon of the measured sugar and warm it to 105°F to 110°F.
Pour the warm coconut milk mixture into a large bowl, sprinkle in the active dry yeast, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
Add 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the remaining sugar, ground cardamom, and salt to the bowl; reserve the remaining 1/4 cup flour for dusting.
Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky.
Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Dust the counter with the reserved flour, roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut into 24 small triangles.
Keep fingers clear of the knife blade while cutting the dough into triangles.
Pour the 48 fluid ounces (6 cups) of vegetable oil from one retail bottle into a 5-quart Dutch oven and heat to 350°F.
Use a 5-quart Dutch oven so the measured oil stays safely below the halfway point, and never leave hot oil unattended.
Fry the mandazi in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning once, until puffed and deep golden brown; keep the oil between 340°F and 360°F.
Lower dough pieces into the oil gently with a dry slotted spoon or other dry heat-safe utensil to prevent splattering.
Transfer the fried mandazi to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and let them drain for 5 minutes before serving warm.
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