Mahamri

Medium·25 min

Soft, pillowy Swahili fried bread, leavened and scented with coconut milk and cardamom. Triangular and lightly sweet, the pieces puff up hollow inside, crisp at the edges, and are eaten with chai or mbaazi.

Mahamri is the cardamom-scented fried bread of the Swahili coast, leavened with coconut and yeast and puffed golden — the work of the Mijikenda and Swahili communities of Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu. It is the classic partner to coconut bean stew.

A delicate crisp shell gives way to a warm, cottony interior fragrant with cardamom and coconut. Barely sweet, it leaves a soft, almost custardy chew that begs to be dunked in spiced tea.

Yeast fermentation builds gluten and gas, and the hot oil sets the outer crust instantly so trapped steam and CO2 inflate the dough into a hollow puff.

Variations

Plain yeast-free versions, extra coconut for richness, or a touch of nutmeg; closely related to mandazi.

On the Palate

Where Mahamri sits in the Kenyan flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

3 cupsFlour

1 cupCoconut Milk

3 tbspSugar

1 tsp, groundCardamom

1 tspYeast

for fryingOil

How it's made

8 steps · 25 min

1
4 min
Combine flour, sugar, ground cardamom and yeast in a bowl.
2
10 min
Add coconut milk and knead into a smooth, soft dough.
3
90 min
Cover and let the dough rise until roughly doubled in size.
Watch out
Let it rise until just about doubled — press a finger in and the dent should spring back slowly; that's the gas you need to puff.
4
6 min
Knock back and roll out into rounds, then cut each into triangles.
5
20 min
Let the cut pieces rest briefly so they puff slightly.
6
8 min
Heat oil and fry the triangles, spooning oil over so they balloon.
Watch out
Keep spooning hot oil over the tops as they fry — that constant basting is what balloons them hollow.
7
6 min
Fry until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper.
Watch out
Golden brown, not dark — pull them at an even amber or the cardamom edges into bitter.
8
2 min
Serve warm with chai, mbaazi or coconut beans.