Kenyan Mahamri

Mahamri is a Kenyan snack that is popular in the coastal region of Mombasa. It is similar to doughnuts but has a distinct flavor, texture and shape. Mahamri are soft and fluffy on the inside and crisp and golden on the exterior.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Proofing time: 1 30

Total Time: 2 10

Servings: pieces

Calories: 127.9kcal

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Ingredients

3 cups All-purpose wheat flour
1 tsp Instant dry yeast
1 cup warm milk or water use milk of your choice
3 tbsp powdered milk
2 tbsp butter/margarine
½ cup sugar
1tsp cardamom Powdered
½ tsp salt
oil for deep frying
extra wheat flour for dusting

Instructions

Step 1: preparations

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom powder, powdered milk, and salt. Mix the ingredients well to combine.
Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients: warm milk or coconut milk or warm water and butter/margarine if melted. Mix the two mixtures together until they starts to come together to form a firm dough
If your butter is not melted, you can add it at this point.

Step 2: Kneading

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5-8 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.

Step 3: Proofing

Grease the bowl with oil. Return the dough into the greased bowl then cover it with a cling film or clean cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

Step 4: Shaping

Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air.
Divide the dough into small portions.
Roll each portion into a circle.
using a pizza cutter or a knife, divide each circle into 4 triangles.

Step 5: Frying

Using a deep frying pan, heat oil on medium heat to fry the mahamri. The oil should be hot enough but not too hot to burn them quickly.
Gently slide the shaped dough into the hot oil , frying them in batches and turning them until they puff up and turn golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2 minutes for each side.

Step 6: Remove and drain oil

Remove them from the oil and place them on a bowl lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Step 7: Serve

Enjoy your mahamri warm with tea or coffee or as a snack or main dish with your favorite soup.

Notes

Use warm milk or water to activate the yeast. The milk or water should be about 37° F and not hot to kill the yeast.

Knead the dough well, for about 5-8 minutes. This will help in developing gluten which gives the mahamri their soft and chewy texture. A well-kneaded dough will rise better and have a soft, fluffy texture after frying.

Allow the dough to rise until it doubles in size. This may take 1-2 hours depending on the temperature. This ensures that the mahamri are fluffy and airy inside.

When frying, the oil temperature is very crucial. It should be hot enough to puff up the mahamri and not too hot to burn them on the outside while staying raw inside.The temperature should also not be low because the Mahamri will not rise well and will absorb a lot of oil. Drop a small piece of dough to test the temperature. If it sizzles and rises fairly quickly, the oil is ready.

Fry the mahamri in batches, giving them enough space to puff up and cook evenly. Overcrowding the pan lowers the oil temperature thus making them greasy or unevenly cooked.

Nutrition

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