How to Make Lemon Zest Maandazi. An Easy Beginner-Friendly Recipe

Maandazi, the beloved East African fried dough treat, is known for its slightly sweet flavor, pillowy texture, and irresistible golden crust. While traditional maandazi are delightful on their own, adding lemon zest brings a refreshing twist that elevates this classic to a whole new level. The bright citrus notes cut through the richness of the dough, adding a fragrant aroma and subtle zing that balances the sweetness perfectly. Enjoy them with a cup of chai (Kenyan tea with milk) or as a snack on their own. Lemon zest maandazi offers a fresh and flavorful variation that is worth trying.

Related Recipes

• Classic (traditional) maandazi recipe
• No-yeast doughnuts (doughnut-shaped maandazi)
• Soft and layered chapati recipe
• Carrot chapati recipe

Ingredients for Lemon Zest Maandazi

• All-purpose flour – 3 cups. Sift the flour before measuring it to avoid measuring excess flour.
• Sugar – 1/4 cup. Use white granulated sugar, which won’t change the color of the dough.
• Salt – 1/8 tsp
• Baking powder – 2 tsp
• Unsalted butter – 1/4 cup. It should be soft enough to rub into the flour.
• Zest of one lemon. Simply grate the zest of one fresh lemon.
• Egg – 1
• Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
• Whole milk (cold) – 1 cup (you may not use it all)

Steps for Lemon Zest Maandazi

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Then, add 1/4 cup of butter and rub it into the flour until it is well incorporated and the flour appears crumbly. Doing this ensures that the doughnuts have a light texture.
2. Grate the zest of one lemon into the flour mixture. Mix it in with a spatula until it is evenly incorporated. Then, make a well in the middle in preparation to add the wet ingredients.

3. Beat one egg and pour it into the flour mixture. Next, add vanilla extract and half a cup of cold whole milk. Start kneading the dough, and gradually add the rest of the milk until you achieve the right consistency. You may not need to use the entire cup of milk. Your dough should be firm but pliable. Knead until the dough is smooth and non-sticky. Then, shape it into a ball, cover it, and let it rest for about thirty minutes before moving on to the next step.

4. Lightly flour a wide and clean surface and roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. A thinner dough will allow for your maandazi to rise fully and be soft and fluffy on the inside. A thicker dough, on the other hand, could lead to extremely dense and potentially undercooked maandazi. Using a pizza cutter wheel or a knife, cut the maandazi pieces in squares, triangles, or any other preferred shapes. Keep the pieces roughly equal in size to ensure uniform cooking.

Fry the maandazi

5. Deep fry your maandazi on medium-high heat. Gently drop in as many pieces as possible at a time but ensure they do not overlap so that your maandazi has enough room to rise fully. Allow one side to brown before flipping the maandazi. Regulate the heat as needed if you see the maandazi browning too quickly. Once ready, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined bowl. Repeat with the rest of the maandazi.

• NOTE: If the oil foams as you fry the maandazi, that’s okay. The proteins in the eggs and milk are mostly the reason behind the foaming. Just watch to make sure the oil does not overflow onto the stove. Also, for this reason, it is advisable to use a deep enough pot to fry the maandazi so that you enough room.

6. Serve while warm and enjoy the maandazi with Kenyan tea, coffee, warm milk, hot chocolate, or a cold drink.

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How to store leftover maandazi

The best thing about maandazi is that you can always make it in large batches and freeze it for long-term usage. Grab a few in the morning, warm them up, and you are all set with a cup of tea or coffee.

• Allow maandazi to cool down fully before packaging for storage. Covering them while hot could lead to sogginess.
• Place cool maandazi in an airtight container for storage. I like to use gallon-size Ziplocs for this. Maandazi can dry out and become unusable if left exposed to air for a long time.
• Preserve the freshness of maandazi by freezing it. Refrigerating doesn’t work well as the texture tends to deteriorate after just three days. However, frozen mandazi tastes like new up to three months later.

How to reheat leftover maandazi

• Maandazi is absolutely perfect for consumption at room temperature, just like doughnuts, muffins, croissants, etc. Get it out of the freezer an hour or two early and keep it in an airtight container on the countertop.
• That being said, warm mandazi is even better. This is especially true for this recipe, which uses butter. The mandazi is softer and fluffier when warm.
• Heat up frozen or defrosted maandazi in the microwave. Do about 20 seconds at a time and flip it over. You will hardly need to go over a minute, or your maandazi will dry out.

Conclusion

With their golden crust, soft interior, and burst of flavors, lemon zest maandazi are an even more delicious version of a timeless favorite. The hint of lemon enhances the overall aroma and adds a refreshing brightness to each bite. Enjoy maandazi for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or bring them to a special gathering, and you are sure to impress all the guests. This recipe really is worth trying even if you are just learning about mandazi for the first time!

My Amazon Affiliate Links

Please purchase any items you may need to make this recipe through these links to support this channel. I will earn commissions at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much!

• Pizza cutter wheel: https://amzn.to/41fXiwF
• D&W Non-Stick Wok: https://amzn.to/3BNiTlV
• D&W Non-Stick Frying Pan: https://amzn.to/3BDFdhC
• Euchoiz Silicon pastry mat: https://amzn.to/4fEIJHK
• KitchenAid Measuring cups: https://amzn.to/3MmlepD
• Mixing bowls (glass): https://amzn.to/3WFSFb9
• Stainless steel whisk: https://amzn.to/3M1sdUz
• Stainless steel skimmer ladle: https://amzn.to/4jCSt78