I’ve been quite busy baking and teaching this week that I didn’t even think I would get a chance to get down to blogging. I’ve made so many cupcakes and cakes in the past few days and though I am always happy when I am busy, I was just dying to have mahamris.
Since most of you my lovely readers are from non Swahili speaking countries, mahamris are basically doughnuts, without the little hole in them. They tend to have cardamom and something coconut related in them – coconut milk or desiccated coconuts are the biggest options. This is mainly because, mahamris make part of the delicacy in the coastal region and if you find me looking for them I am longing for a holiday as I am sort of tired especially post Valentine’s Day work. Someone take me to Diani!!!
So since I can’t be in coast right now, I brought a little bit of coast to me. Mahamris are usually enjoyed with tea or with mbaazi (cowpea/cowpeas) stew/curry and either way its fantastic.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting and kneading
- 1 tablespoon (10grams) instant yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pradip Cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Pradip Coconut Flavour – this will make your mahamris so good, Don’t skip on it
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup coconut milk – heated to lukewarm to activate the yeast.
Method
In a bowl, mix together the 2 cups flour, yeast, cardamom, and sugar. Add the oil, coconut flavour and the lukewarm coconut milk and mix with a wooden spoon until you can knead it.
Knead until the dough no longer sticks to your hands or countertop.
Place your dough into a heat proof bowl, cover with a wet towel or clean film, and leave it somewhere warm to proof/bloom. Should take 20-40 minutes to bloom. I place mine on top of a warm oven. When proofing time is done, the dough will have doubled in volume, and will be really soft to touch.
Dust your surface with flour and roll the dough to your desired thickness. I rolled mine really thin.
Cut the dough into circles or triangles, whatever you fancy.
Deep fry them in hot oil until golden brown, and let them drain the excess oil on a kitchen roll/greaseproof paper.
When the Mahamris have cooled about 5 minutes, roll them in Pradip desiccated coconut to garnish. – this is optional.
Best served while they are warm.
