Almost every culture has its own version of fried dough! Call it the East African version,whichever, Maandazi has a sweet taste and pleasant chewy texture. Very yummy, you can have it for breakfast or as a snack on any function, party or gathering.
Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup water
4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
2 Green lemon peelings
Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Grate the lemons and add the grated particles, this creates flavor
2. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add egg mixture. Mix together gradually with a fork until mixture forms soft dough. To avoid the dough being sticky, you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour (one at a time). Cover dough with a wet towel or plastic wrap and leave 30 minutes or longer.
3. Heat oil in a deep, heavy pot (cast iron is prefered) until is reaches 360° F. While heating the oil, roll dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle ½ inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds with a glass or small biscuit cutter. You can also use a knife to cut rectangles (whichever shape you want). Form ball again with remaining dough and repeat process until all of dough is cut. You should have about 20 rounds.
4. Fry maandazi in batches of 5, for about 5 minutes per batch, turning to brown both sides. Hint: Turn the mandaazi using a big enough fork before it gets too puffy, or the air bubbles may prevent you from turning it at all. It is advisable to turn them several times during frying process. Remove from oil when both sides are golden brown. Serve warm, dipped in powdered sugar if desired.
Yield: about 20 maandazi
