In this instructable, I am going to be showing you how to make Mandazi. Mandazi is a slightly sweet form of fried dough that originated from East African street food. I used to go online to learn how to make Mandazi, and every recipe I used to try never gave me the results I wanted or expected, until just last year when I combined different recipes together and had amazing results. Mandazi are so yummy and addictive.

If I can do it you can do it too, so let's get to baking :)

Step 1: Get All Your Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

1 cups of warm water
1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk/Coconut milk
2 large eggs mixed
2 tsp of salt
1 cups of Sugar
4 tsp of Baking powder
7 cups of all-purpose flour
Cooking oil - Any kind of cooking oil will work
3 Tbsp of vanilla flavor (Optional) - I usually use Baker's imitation vanilla flavor.

Tools:

2 Big bowls and 1 small bowl
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Plastic bag
Large pot or a saucepan
Wood rolling pin
Kitchen knife
A spatula
A whisk
Paper tower

Step 2: Mix Ingredients

Liquid Ingredients:

Mix together 2 eggs in a small bowl.

Warm-up two cups of water. Don't let the water get too hot, make sure the water is not warmer than body temperature.

In one large bowl, whisk together one cup of warm water and one cup and a half of evaporated milk or coconut milk. Set aside for five minutes, then add the egg mix.

Add 3 tbsp of vanilla flavor to the mix. (Optional) - The vanilla flavor is used for bringing out a smooth taste, but it's optional, if you don't want to use it or don't like vanilla flavor, then you don't have to use it.

Dry Ingredients:

In a separate large bowl, mix together 2 tsp of salt, one cup of sugar, and 4 tsp of baking powder. Mix them really good, then add 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

Step 3: Knead Away

Take the bowl of mixed dry ingredients and mix it together with the ingredients mixed in the liquid mixed ingredients. Mix everything really good, then add the rest 5 cups of all-purpose flour and mix until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until all the ingredients have blended in and until dough is smooth and not too sticky.

Place dough in a greased bowl, and cover the bowl loosely with a clean cloth. Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for 30 minutes to one hour, or until dough is doubled. Keep the dough covered with a cloth to keep the dough from getting dry.

Tips to keep in mind: In order for your Mandazi to be soft and fluffy, the dough has to double in size or close to being doubled. Be patient with the dough because it might take longer for the dough to rise depending on the weather or how warm the place is.

If the dough doesn't rise in one hour, try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes, then turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven. If all fails, mix in two teaspoons of rapid dry yeast into the dough and knead it. Wait again for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the dough to rise.

Step 4: Cutting and Frying

Divide the dough into four portions, and roll out one portion of dough into a circle about once inch. Cut the dough into small rectangles depending on how big you want your Mandazi to be, and then repeat with the step with the remaining dough portions.

Heat the oil in a large pot until it reaches about 350 degrees Farenheight. Working in a circle, fry the dough for two to three minutes, and then turn the dough on the other side and fry for two to three minutes also, or until dough is golden brown. - Don't put all the dough in the pot at the same time. Put in the ones that can fit so you have space to be able to turn each dough, and then repeat the step with the remaining dough.

When removing Mandazi from the pot, drain on a paper towel, and put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes for the Mandazi to be soft. - You can put the Mandazi in the plastic bag at the same time, and as you finish each Mandazi, dry it and put it in the same plastic bag. They don't have to be separated, as long as they are in a plastic bag for at least 10 minutes.