Mandazi

If you thought beignets couldn’t get any better, meet mandazi. These pillows of fried dough, flavored with cardamom and coconut, are eaten for breakfast across East Africa. Diners often pair them with a mug of milky spiced chai, which became a staple as Indians came to work and trade in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania under British colonial rule. The cardamom in mandazi hints at other longstanding South Asian and Middle Eastern influences on East African cuisine, the result of centuries of trade along the Swahili Coast.

Mandazi are subtly sweet, making them more versatile than sugary, Western-style doughnuts. They’re often used to sop up savory curries, such as pigeon peas cooked in coconut milk. Leftovers from breakfast or teatime may be heated up and served with dinner.