Addictive pillows of joy | Mahamri

April 17, 2017
mandazi, soft mandazi, tanzanian bread, kenyan bread, kenyan triangle bread, tanzanian triangle bread, zanzibar triangle bread, mahamri, mandazi,

Known as Mahamri in Mombasa, these babies are ubiquitous to Kenyan homes. I recently took these to my Japanese friend’s house and her kids went crazy for them! Her three year old bundle of joy ate 4. 4! I get the same effect with my fussy seven year old who looks away when I put all things gourmet in-front of her but not these. These get gobbled up fast!

It’s a great snack to prepare for guests. They’re also a popular breakfast dish in Mombasa, usually accompanied with mbaazi wa nazi (pigeon peas cooked in coconut gravy) which can be quite addictive. Check out the recipe here

mahambri, mandazi, sesame bread, coconut fried bread, red nails, black coffee, black tea pot

Now, they might look a tad bit complex but once you try them the first time you’ll quickly get the hang of it and find it a breeze to make the second time round. You’ve got this.

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Addictive pillows of joy | Mahamri

Pillows of love

  • Author: Vanessa
  • Cuisine: Swahili

Ingredients

Scale
  • 500 gms All purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Instant yeast
  • 120 gms Sugar
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp butter (optional)
  • 1 tsp Ground cardamom
  • 2 cups oil (for Deep frying)

Instructions

Watch the video below

Did you try this recipe out?
How did it go? Comment below and
if you took a pic, share it on Instagram
with the hashtag #swahilifood

14 responses to “Addictive pillows of joy | Mahamri”

  1. Tara says:

    Would like measurements in cups as opposed to gms. For future recipes, maybe provide both.

  2. KN says:

    Hi Vanessa…I tried this recipe with coconut milk but my dough backfired and noticed only when I use water does it work okay…any suggestions?

    • vanessa says:

      Hi there, i noticed when i used thick coconut cream it ends up being overly greasy and not good. Is that what you used? Coconut milk usually always gives me great results (a little fat from the coconut makes them special)

  3. Hanan Yahya says:

    Hi vanessa am hanan
    From hanoona’s kitchen and i love your channel would you like to work together to advertise our channels

  4. Jaelle says:

    I wanted to make this recipe, but can’t find it anywhere on your page.
    Please help

  5. Georgette says:

    Hi Vanessa,
    I love love love mahamri and was so excited to see your recipe. I tried it and sadly they came out flat!😂 All the measurements were followed to the T, but still. Funny enough, the flour rose at every point it was supposed to except while in the pan. Any idea why that would happen?
    Thanks!

    • Vanessa says:

      Hi Georgette, Ugh that’s so frustrating and something that happens to many so don’t be discouraged. Don’t let it rise too long once you’ve cut out the shapes. Oil temp is also crucial (look for a gentle bubble around a skewer to know when the oil is ready) once you add the mahamri to the oil wait a few seconds then turn and keep them moving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiBLYBrnn3g&t=1753s here is a link to a very long and very detailed video. Its one of the lives i did earlier this year. Hope it helps. Crossing my fingers and toes for your next attempt. Hugs

    • Vanessa Mehri says:

      Oh no! I know that feeling oh too well and almost gave up making Mahamri because of it.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiBLYBrnn3g here is a link to a step by step i filmed live. It is long but worth watching

  6. Jermin says:

    What will happen if I use normal cow milk?

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