Rachel

Re: Rachel

• justrachet

  August 2011

  The only dessert I had there was our wedding cake, which was like banana bread and not really traditional. I can't think of any actual baked goods besides that - everyone cooks on a propane burner or open fire. They do have some very yummy sweet fried rolls - mahamri and mandazi. They are almost the same but mahamri uses yeast and mandazi uses baking powder. Mahamri usually puffs up so that there is a big air pocket in the middle of the roll. Rodgers' mandazi usually ends up solid. I think mahamri is probably more traditional, but we usually do mandazi because it's faster!

  Mahamri
  (adapted from online recipe that's found many places, including: http://sethhaberkorn.info/kenyan-mahamri-recipe)

  1 tsp yeast
  1 cup warm water
  1 tsp ground cardamom
  1/4 cup sugar
  pinch of salt
  3 eggs
  1/2 cup warm coconut milk
  3 cups flour
  oil for frying

  Dilute yeast in water and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours

  Mix cardamom, sugar, salt, and eggs; add coconut milk and yeast, mix thoroughly 

  Add flour and knead dough until smooth

  Roll dough out on floured surface, 1/4" thick; cut into 1.5-2" triangles

  Let dough stand at room temperature for 2 hours

  Heat oil in pan; fry mahamri on both sides until golden brown

   

  Mandazi 
  (Don't know where Rodgers got this recipe, it's in his handwriting, not printed from the internet)

  1 egg
  1/2 cup coconut milk
  2 Tbsp butter, melted
  1/2 cup sugar
  1 tsp cardamom
  2 cups flour
  2 tsp baking powder 

  Mix all ingredients together, add more flour if necessary, dough should be soft, but not sticky

  Roll the dough on light floured board until about 1/4" thick; cut into 1.5-2" triangles; fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown

  
  

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