Swahili Coast · bread

Mahamri (Cardamom Coconut Doughnuts)

Mahamri (Cardamom Coconut Doughnuts) reads richness 6.9, sweetness 6.0 and funk & ferment 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Swahili Coast bread, about 2 hr 56 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 2.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.9 · Sweetness 6.0 · Funk & Ferment 3.7 · Salinity 3.6 · Nutty 3.4 · Umami 2.8 · Floral 2.5 · Fruity 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.7

What's in it (10)

• all-purpose flour — 500 g
• yeast — 10 g
• granulated sugar — 100 g
• ground cardamom — 15 g
• salt — 3 g
• coconut milk — 184 g
• egg — 100 g
• water — 60 g
• butter — 27 g
• vegetable oil — 920 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 56 min (51 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 358.5 kcal, 6.9 g protein, 17.2 g fat, 45.7 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Husk the cardamom pods and pound the black seeds to a powder in a mortar. Pre-ground cardamom loses the perfume that makes mahamri worth eating, so grind it the morning you fry.
2. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, ground cardamom and salt in a wide bowl.
3. Pour in the warmed coconut milk, the beaten egg and the warm water and bring the dough together, then work in the softened butter.
4. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and only just tacky.
5. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled.
6. Knock the dough back, divide it into 6 pieces, and roll each into a round about 18 cm across and 1 cm thick. Cut each round into 4 wedges - the triangle is the shape mahamri is known by.
7. Let the cut wedges rest uncovered 20 minutes; they will puff slightly and this is what gives the hollow centre.
8. Heat the oil to 170 C (340 F) in a deep pan. Fry the wedges in batches, 4 at a time, spooning hot oil over them for the first few seconds so they balloon, about 2 minutes a side until deep gold.
9. Drain on a rack, not on paper, so the crust stays crisp. Eat warm with mbaazi za nazi or with tea.
10. Substitutions: ghee can stand in for the softened butter.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Coco Bread — Jamaican
• Dabo (Ethiopian Celebration Bread) — Ethiopian
• Puto (Steamed Rice Cakes) — Filipino
• Challah (Six-Strand Sabbath Bread) — Ashkenazi
• Pan de Yema — Peruvian

Keep reading: what richness, sweetness, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.