Maandazi- Tanzania Donuts

Yesterday I shared a pound cake recipe that is my absolute favorite.  One of the reasons for my battle with the bulge.  Here is a recipe from my home country Tanzania and I love to eat them with tea or coffee…. I will post recipes for coffee and tea….yum!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp dry yeast

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

5 tbsp sugar

½ cup coconut milk, canned is okay

1 cup warm water

1 qt cooking vegetable oil (depending on the size of deep fryer)

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Frying time:  10 minutes

Method:

1.     In a small bowl mix dry yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water and leave it to rise for about 5-10 minutes, covered with a plastic wrap until yeast rises.

2.     Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix flour, cardamom, milk powder and sugar. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the yeast mixture and mix it through with hands. Add the coconut milk, and then the water to form a soft dough.

3.     If it is too soft, add flour a little bit at a time.

4.     On a flat floured surface, continue to knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic. Move the dough to a clean lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let it rise.

5.     Once it has doubled in size, knead the dough for an additional 2 minutes.

6.     Place the dough on flat surface, sprinkle flour at the bottom and on top of the dough and roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut them into equal triangle portions.

7.     Heat the vegetable oil deep fryer (250 c).

8.     Fry 3 or 4 maandazi at a time depending on the size of the deep fryer. Dip the maandazi on the same facing side into hot oil, (the base will be at the bottom) they will rise like air filled balloons you need to turn them immediately to the other side. Fry the other side till they turn light brown and get them out. Do not overcook.

9.     Keep them in a paper towel to drain any excessive oil.

10.   Serve them hot or at room temperature.   

Cooks tip:

Do not over knead the dough, the quicker the mixing will result in very soft maandazi. If you do not have coconut milk you can substitute with milk all the way. While frying do not turn them before they rise, they will be very flat and also do not let them over rise they bust when rising they will be filled with oil.