Mandazi

🍋 Lightly sweet Ugandan fried dough with lemon zest. Makes sixteen small rectangles: two per serving.

Ingredients

• 400 g all-purpose wheat flour
• 40 g extra flour for rolling, as needed
• 70 g sugar
• 8 g baking powder
• 30 g soft butter
• 180–220 ml cold drinking water
• 1 tsp finely grated unwaxed lemon zest
• 2 g salt
• About 1 litre neutral frying oil, not all consumed

Preparation

Wash the lemon and grate only its colored zest. Combine 400 g flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest.

Rub in the butter. Add 180 ml cold water, then a little more only as needed, up to about 220 ml total.

Knead about 2 minutes until soft but firm. Cover and rest 20 minutes while arranging the frying equipment.

Dust the counter from the reserved 40 g flour. Roll to about 1 cm thick and cut 16 similar rectangles.

Heat oil in a deep suitable pan, no more than half full, to 165–170 °C. Prepare a dry slotted spoon and draining rack.

Fry 3–4 pieces at a time for 5–7 minutes total, turning to brown both sides. Allow the oil to recover between batches.

Drain the first batch; cool briefly and split one piece to check that no raw dough remains. If needed, cook subsequent batches longer at slightly lower heat.

Finish frying, drain and cool until warm. Serve two per person. Cool leftovers fully before boxing and eat preferably the next day.