These sweet diamonds are fried then tossed in a hot sugar syrup until the sugar crystallizes. Sweet and addictive with a hint of cardamom and coconut as is very common with Kenyan coastal dishes. They are surprisingly balanced, warm and sweet. The depth of flavour from the yeast balances the sweetness from the crystallized sugar and the cardamom, they simply just melt in your mouth.
This recipe makes up to 2 dozen mitai in 1 hr 50 minutes - 2 hrs 40 minutes. Including 20 - 30 minutes of prep, 1 hr to 1 hr 30 minutes for the dough to rise and 30 - 40 minutes of cooking.
Tools & Ingredients
Ingredients
For the dough
2 cups of All Purpose / Pastry Flour
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of instant yeast-> Around half a sachet
You can use active dry yeast too if that is what you have on hand, just warm the full amount of coconut milk/milk or water, then add the yeast in it and let it bloom for 5 - 10 mins till foamy. You may need to add a bit more flour to compensate the extra liquid or cut back on a bit of the coconut cream.
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
Fresh cardamom is more potent so use less of it as compared to ground cardamom, unless you like an intense cardamom flavour. You can choose to grind the cardamom seeds or leave them as they are once removed from their pods.
1/2 cup of full-fat coconut cream
You can use yoghurt, milk or sour cream instead then add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk powder to the dry ingredients. If using yoghurt or milk you can also add 1 - 2 tablespoons of coconut oil/butter/ghee or any other oil you like. Since full-fat coconut cream has plenty of fat, no need to add extra fat or oil.
2 - 4 tablespoons of coconut milk/milk/water
For Sugar Syrup
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 tablespoon of lemon juice -> juice from half a lemon (optional)
Lemon juice helps cut through the sugar making the mitai taste less sweet.
For Frying
1 - 2 litres of high heat cooking oil or enough to fill your pan/pot halfway (around 2 inches from the bottom).
Vegetable or peanut oil works well. If you are daring you can also use a mixture of coconut oil and ghee.
Tools
For the dough
Mixing bowl
Dry Measuring cups / Weighing scale
Measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cups
Wooden Spoon (mwiko)
For Deep Frying
Deep heavy bottom pan/pot.
It should be deep enough so the oil can be deep enough for the mitai to fry without touching the bottom - around 3 - 4 inches (7.5 - 10cm) deep.
Skimmer or slotted spoon
Deep Fry thermometer (optional) -> This is optional but it's very helpful
Wire rack or paper towels
For the Sugar Syrup
Small sauce pan (sufuria)
For crystallizing the sugar on the mitai
A large pot or pan preferably with a wide base
A wooden spoon (mwiko)
Procedure
Making the Syrup
You can make the syrup prior to making the dough and set it aside until you are ready, I however like to make the syrup as the dough rises.
In a saucepan add the sugar, water, and cardamom.
Stir to ensure everything is well distributed then place on medium heat to cook.
Bring to a gentle boil then simmer as you gently swirl or stir until the sugar dissolves.
Set aside until you are ready to coat the mitai in sugar.
Making the dough
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cardamom then mix till all the ingredients are well dispersed.
Add the coconut cream then mix until you get a shaggy dough. Dump on your counter and knead adding the coconut milk/milk or water until you get a smooth dough. The dough should soft and supple but not sticky.
If using active dry yeast, warm the whole amount of coconut milk/milk or water then add the yeast to proof until foamy. Once proofed, add the mixture to the dry ingredients first then add around 3/4 of the coconut cream adding more as needed. If using oil or fat, add it after the dough has formed then knead till smooth. You can also use a stand mixer, start on low until all the ingredients are incorporated then knead for around 5 - 6 minutes on medium speed till the dough is smooth and cleans the side of the bowl.
Once the dough is smooth, form it into a ball, oil it then place it in a mixing bowl to rise. Tightly cover the bowl with either cling film or a tight-fitting lid, keeping the dough air tight so it does not dry out. Let the dough rise at room temp for 1 hr - 1 hr 30 minutes until doubled in size. You can also chill it in the fridge. This will make it rise slower and develop more flavour; if you do ensure to let it come back to room temp for around an hour before the next step.
Cutting the mitai
Once doubled in size, gently deflate the dough then roll it out to around less than 1/5 inch (1/2 a centimetre) thick. You can divide he dough into 2 pieces first so it is easier to roll out evenly.
Cut vertical strips on the rolled out dough followed by diagonal strips so you end up with diamond shaped pieces of dough. The angle of the diagonal cuts does not matter just eyeball the strips to get the diamond shapes you like. How big or small you go depends on your preference, I usually make the strips around 11/2 - 2 inches (4 - 5 centimetres) wide then cut almost the same distance apart diagonally so the diamonds around have even sides. If you want more of rectangle diamonds, you can make the diagonal cuts wider than the vertical ones.
Place the mitai on a floured surface as you heat the oil, no need to proof again, the baking powder will help them puff as soon as the hit the hot oil.
Frying the mitai
Fill your heavy bottom pan around halfway with a high heat cooking oil, then place on medium heat. If using a thermometer place it in the oil too.
Let the oil heat to around 175ºC (350ºF). To test if it is ready - that is if you are not using a thermometer, dip a clean dry wooden utensil into the oil. If bubbles immediately form around the utensil your oil is ready.
Gently place the mitai into the hot oil. Traditionally they are all cooked in a very wide wok so all the mitais are cooked at the same time but I found no issue working in batches on a smaller pan. Try not to overcrowd the pan so the temperature of your oil remains steady.
The mitai should puff almost immediately, if not your baking powder or yeast may be expired. Once they puff flip them and cook for around 1 minute until they turn golden. Flip again until all the sides are slightly browned. Mitai are usually lighter in colour than your average fried dough since they have very little sugar.
Using a skimmer remove the mitai and briefly drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
Coating the mitai in sugar
Pour the sugar syrup in a wide pot or pan, if it has thickened too much gently warm it until easily pourable.
If your pan is small and cannot take all the mitai work in 2 or 3 batches depending on how many it can carry at a go. Remember to divide the syrup evenly for each batch; you can simply eyeball it.
Heat the sugar syrup on medium heat until it boils then immediately reduce the heat to low and add in your mitai. Patiently and gently agitate the mitai until the sugar crystallizes and dries out. You will end up with dry powdery sugar crystals covering your mitai. Traditionally, the mitai are periodically tossed in the sugar syrup until they crystallize but for safety (sugar get very hot) I like occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon then immediately I see some crystals I move to gently tossing (the sugar crystals will make a hard shell on your wooden spoon if you continue to stir once the crystals start forming). Whichever method you choose to agitate the sugar, it may take a good 5 - 10 mins for the crystals to form.
Repeat until all your mitai are covered in crystallized sugar.
Serve warm with strong coffee (kahawa tungu).
Notes
-If you want to reduce the time, you can warm the coconut milk slightly before adding to the dough.
-Do not roll the dough too thin or too thick. Too thin and the mitai end up tough too thick you end up with doughy mitai. The should be thin enough to cook in seconds but thick enough to remain soft and slightly chewy.
-Do not overcrowd the pan as you cook, this will lower the temperature of the oil taking much more time to cook the mitai, this may result in tough oily mitai.
-Be patient and gentle while agitating the sugar around the mitai. Too high heat and you end up with a soggy lump of mush, too hard and rough you end up with broken and crushed mitai. It takes around 5 - 10 minutes for the sugar to crystallize so it will look like nothing is happening for a long time, be patient it will eventually and despite the urge DO NOT crank up the heat.
-Mitai are best eaten the same day they are made, but if you want to store them, let them cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I have never frozen them so I would not recommend it.
