The truth is, when most of us hear of a food called fat cake, we will probably run the other way. But once you’ve tasted one of these you’ll stick around for more! These handheld little dreams are called Mah – GWEEN – yahs. These are a South African type of doughnut but not like the type of doughnut we are used to in the U.S. They are a bit less sweet and are eaten with the main course, such as with egg curry or for breakfast with jam. Any time my mom made them for us we would be overjoyed. Many African and Caribbean countries have similar foods with slight variations for the leavening agents, amount of sugar, size and texture.
Magwinyas are slightly sweet and have a doughy, dense texture. They are perfect for eating with curries and stews to absorb flavorful broths. They only require a few ingredients and a little bit of patience to allow time for the dough to rise. Then they are then formed into balls and fried, so what’s not to love?! Add these as the sidekick to your favorite stew or with your morning coffee.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients together
- Add the warm water
- Combine together with hands until it forms a ball then place in a greased bowl
- Let it sit for 1-2 hours in a warm place until doubled in size
- Once the dough is ready, cut it into fourths then divide those into fourths to make 16 balls
- Preheat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat
- Carefully drop and fry about 2 min on each side
- Place in a dish lined with a paper towels
Notes
- A nice warm place that’s not too hot is the oven, turned off but with the light on
- You will know the oil is ready by testing a small piece of dough and seeing it begin to fry – bubbling around the edges
- If they begin to brown on the bottom too quickly, turn the heat to medium low. Taking the pot off the burner for a moment also helps slow the browning for a more even cooking until the oil temperature decreases
- Placing paper towels in the dish helps absorb some of the excess oil