Jambo! So, theres been one heck of a debate and its about food names. I grew up in Mombasa- Kenya and over there we call these Mandazi because they aren’t hollow inside unlike the ‘Mahambri’ that has a lovely air pocket, perfect for stuffing with coconut beans. Our neighbours in Tanzania call it half cake, its also known as Puff puff in west Africa and Biegnets New Orleans. Theres a lot of info out there on the origin of these little pillowy delights and most of it points to Arab influence which is coincidently heavily seen in Swahili cooking.
As far as the name debate in Africa goes, I tried to get to the bottom of things and researched. Guess what i found out? Everyone is as confused as i am about the name. So, round here we are just going to call these chunky donuts, Mandazi. This recipe gives you incredibly soft Mandazi that stay soft even after a day!
Soft Mandazi / Biegnets
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 3 cups of all Purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup luke warm milk
- 4 tbsp melted butter/margarine
- 1 whole egg
Instructions
- Add the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and mix well.
- Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead into a dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Roll out the dough (1cm in height) on a lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes. You could cut them into small squares or diamond shapes. You can even use a glass to cut out round shapes.
- In a thick bottomed pan, add enough oil to deep fry. The oil is ready to use when you put a wooden skewer in it and bubbles form around the skewer.
- Drop in the cut dough shapes and lower the heat to avoid the outside burning while the inside is uncooked. Flip the mandazi over every 30 sec and cook for about 2 min.
- Enjoy!
Video
Did you try this recipe out?
How did it go? Comment below and if you took a pic, tag me @swahilifood on Instagram and hashtag it #swahilifood.
Didn’t get any
I don’t follow, what do you mean? 🙂
The online demonstration is so good I have learnt how good mandazis are made.Thanks for the work well done.
Thank you so much 🙂
Best recipe ever.
This ndaoz are the MOTHER! Been cooking them for 2 years now every other week.
Thanks Van
I think they deserve a nomination haha
So delicious 😋 my whole family enjoyed
How many does this make?
I appreciate the recipe ,..but I’d rather put the flour sugar salt yeast and margarine in a bowl ,then I rub in margarine in these ingredients ,using my own hands ,’I mean as if am doing washing’
After everything is mixed up ,and the margarine has disappeared into the flour and other ingredients ,I use warm milk to make dough ,I cover then I set aside,
After five minutes I will roll my dough and cut desired shapes and deep fry.
As long as a recipe works out for you, stick with that. Hugs
What quantity of yeast goes with a 2kg flour?
I’ve made these twice and they wrte awesome, super soft! If I double the flour to 6 cups, do I double everything else? Thanks
Doubling a recipe can get a little tricky sometimes and needs you to know the texture of the dough you’re after. As long as you had success with the regular quantities then feel free to experiment. I’d start with less liquid and add more as you knead.
Very delicious, thanks
What flour can I use?
All purpose flour
Page is broken – i cannot see the recipe
Hi, manage to fix the problem
Followed the recipe to the T and they the salt overpowered everything. It’s not salty but you can taste it. The spices are not detectable. It’s one of the most disgusting mandazi I have ever eaten. Please revisit your recipe….the measurements are off. What a waste of my time. 😡
Hi, i’m sorry to hear you did not like the recipe. A few pointers, make sure you dont use salted butter if you are adding the 1.2 tsp salt (1/2 a tsp is very little but add it with salted butter and you can end up with an over salted product)
Spices and spice level are usually a personal preference so feel free to add more. In regards to the measurements, all recipes are tested by a number of people prior to making it on the blog, this helps iron out any kinks. That said, different results can happen due to different types or all-purpose flour. Hope these tips help. Wishing you all the best of luck
My family loved it rhank u so much I even made it vegan and it is still delicious 😋
So glad to hear that. What changes did you make to make it vegan? I would love to include them in the recipe write up 🙂
It came out amazingggggg everyone loved it thank uuuuuuu❤❤❤❤
So glad to hear that 🙂
I’ve been looking for the perfect mandazi recipe and today I have found it. And the page is also well done. I’m loving each and every recipe you write. I wish I could be able to hand you 6 stars because you’re simply the best!!!
Thanks Calvin 🙂
Use coconut milk
The only recipe I have followed and result is awesome
My challenge is mandazi ziko na mafuta mob
What wrong did I do?
Sounds like the oil was’nt hot enough when you added them.
I made the first ones and they were a flop coz I used the wrong cardamom but next time I did, wueh wacha tu! Thanks a lot ♥️
Best mandazi recipe ever. I have tried other recipes and keep coming back here. I really like that they have a modest amount of sugar and cardamom. That way it’s simply sublime.
I am so happy to hear you like the recipe, hugs
we loved it thank you
Can water be a substitute for milk and will they remain soft?
Better to use coconut milk
Made these today and wow! Just what I wanted in a mandazi. Though I’m wondering, how do you get the same results without yeast?
Fantastic recipe, have done it thrice and always comes out perfectly. Thanks for sharing this
When they says Cup, what size is the cup?
Hi, that would be 236ml
Is it possible to use almond milk?
Can one avoid yeast and use baking powder instead.
Hi, have you ever tried making gluten free mandazi? If you have, can you share the recipe.
Thats one thing i sadly have not nailed yet.
Could I use whole wheat flour for this?
How many peices come oit of this ??
Can I use oil instead of butter
What if you made a mistake and kept the oil hot, and now they are cooked on the outside and not the inside, can you salvage them in any way or best to discard?
Yes, you can place them in the over at 180ºc for 10-15 minutes. Don’t worry, that happens to even me sometimes 🙂
This is my go to mandazi recipe , everyone’s talking about them I’ve become “yule dem wa mandazi tamu ” this recipe and the others on your YouTube channel are the BESTEST 🙂 I especially love the eggplant recipe 😋
Thank you
Hehe love the nick name 🙂 Haki day made! Hugs
Gоod day! Тhis post c᧐uldn’t be written any better! Reаding through tһiѕ
post remіnds me of my previous room mate! Hｅ always kept talкing about
this. I wilⅼ forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read.
Many thanks for sһaring!
Awesome!
Thank you
Hi
What kind of sugar is best to use? White or brown? If I want to add lemon zest how much?
I love this recipe very delicious and my family loves it too. I would highly recommend.
Am I supposed to cover directly on the dough or over a container in which its in
Thank u for the recipe
Thanks for sharing this recipe.These are the best mandazi. Made them several times and always super tasty. My family can’t wait for mandazi day.
These are the best mandazis that i have made. Thanks for the simple recipe.
I made thé dough rest for two hours.
Best mandazi recipe ever! Thank you!
😊
These look so good! Is there a way to make these egg free and also gluten free?
delicious, and made lots, i only needed help on the deep frying, and i’m only 12!
How many does this recipe make?
Hi. I have found your recipe so easy to make. Everything was on point. My first time ever to make Real Mandaazi😀. They are delicious . Am so happy. Many thanks girl
This made my day 🥹🤍
Your first ever real mandazi and they turned out delicious—that’s a win! I’m so happy the recipe was easy and worked perfectly for you. Thank you for trusting it, girl, and welcome to the mandazi club 😄
I have always made my Mandazis this way and everyone loves them even my picky eaters. I do make just a little variation by using coconut milk, a bit more cardamom and grated rind of one lemon minus the egg. Super delicious and soft
Great recipe. The mandazi were fantastic.
Best maandazi recipe I’ve used that works every single time….I love it
That honestly means so much 🥹🤍
I’m so happy it works for you every single time—that’s exactly what I want my recipes to be. Thank you for the love and for trusting it!
Hi Vanessa, I’m glad I found your website and this recipe. I am Guyanese, but currently live in a community in Stone Mountain, Georgia that is full of Somali specifically, Kenyatti people. So during Ramadan at our masjid there is Mandazi every night for breaking the fast. Having tasted it over the years. I realize that it is a lot like what we call ‘bakes’ in Guyana. I brought this up to a fellow Guyanese friend who’s married to a Kenyatti. She said “it’s the same thing, it’s just ‘yeast bakes’ ”. In reviewing and preparing your recipe today, I certainly have to agree. The main differences are bakes has less sugar (since it’s meant to be eaten with saltfish, egg, cheese etc.), more baking powder (to compensate for the lack of yeast), cinnamon instead of cardamom powder, and no eggs. It also takes less time since it doesn’t require waiting for the rising of the dough. So for the sake of time, I combined your recipe with a traditional Guyanese bakes recipe by leaving out the yeast and increasing the baking powder to 3 teaspoons. Needless to say the Mandazi didn’t even last an hour lol. I will definitely be sharing your recipe to introduce this wonderful Swahili dish to my fellow Guyanese.
This is such a beautiful message—thank you for sharing it 🤍
I love these kinds of food connections across the diaspora. You’re absolutely right: mandazi and Guyanese bakes are culinary cousins. Different histories, same comfort.
I really appreciate how clearly you explained the differences—less sugar, cinnamon instead of cardamom, baking powder instead of yeast, no eggs—and I love that you adapted it to suit time and tradition. That’s exactly how food evolves and survives.
And the fact that they didn’t last an hour made me laugh 😂 that’s always the real test. Thank you for trusting the recipe, blending it with your own heritage, and for sharing it forward. This is exactly why I love cooking from the Indian Ocean Rim and beyond—our stories overlap in the most delicious ways
They turned out great. I used cassava flour, honey powder, and lactose-free milk. Fried in safflower oil. Tried baking some with avocado oil – of course, not as tasty but healthier! Thank you for this recipe. I have tried quite a few, as a Burundian woman!
This makes me so happy to read 🥹 I love the swaps you made—cassava flour and honey powder sound amazing. And coming from a Burundian sister, that means a lot 🤍 Thank you for trusting and trying my recipes!
Delicious outcome, I liked the history lesson as well, and easy to follow recipe.
What a wonderful recipe. I tried it just this evening and mandazi are so 😋 😋
That makes me so happy to hear
What a wonderful recipe. I tried it just this evening and mandazi are so 😋 😋