Recipe: Mandazi

Mandazi are East African donuts. You can find these delicious donuts in large urban areas and also among the Swahili people of East Africa. Most small restaurants serve mandazi. You can also find mandazi being sold by street vendors. Usually mandazi are eaten with tea (chai) or coffee. Serve them warm for breakfast or for snack. Make mandazi for yourself with this recipe:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 cups white flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder

Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing them together. Mix all the ingredients together, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board until it is about 1/4 inch think. Cut into triangles and fry in hot oil. Fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove mandazi from oil and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Mandazi are best served warm.

Get a little fancy with it! Spruce up your mandazi with these ideas:

* Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the hot mandazi.
* Put some white sugar into a bag, add a couple mandazi, and shake the bag to cover with sugar.
* Add about a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, or cardamom to the dough or a combination of these spices to total a 1/2 teaspoon.
* Use a circular donut cutter to make mandazi in the shape of traditional donuts.
* Substitute pineapple, orange, or lemon juice for the milk.
* Add some shredded coconut to the dough.
* Add ground peanuts or ground almonds to the dough.
* You may substitute 1 teaspoon dry yeast for the 2 teaspoons baking powder. You will want to allow the mandazi to rise before cutting shapes and frying.