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Mkate mayai
Mkate mayai: paper-thin dough folded around spiced minced beef and egg, crisped on a big griddle
Mkate mayai means "bread egg" in Swahili, though there is no bread in it: a ball of dough is slapped and stretched until you can see through it, laid on a huge oiled griddle, filled with spiced minced beef and beaten egg and folded into a crisp square parcel. It comes from the Swahili coast, where in Mombasa's Old Town the stalls are busiest after iftar during Ramadan, and in Nairobi you will find it frying late into the night on Eastleigh's First Avenue. The outside is flaky and blistered, the inside soft and savoury. It contains wheat and egg. Chef's tip: oil the counter and your hands, not flour; oil lets the dough stretch thin without tearing.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm waterabout
- 6 tbsp vegetable oilfor the dough, stretching and frying
For the filling
- 9 oz minced beef
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
To serve
- 4 tbsp chilli sauce or tamarind chutney (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add ¾ cup warm water a little at a time with 1 tablespoon of 6 tbsp vegetable oil, and knead for 5 minutes into a very soft, smooth dough.
7 minStep 2: Divide into 4 balls, coat each with a little oil, cover and rest for 20 minutes. Common mistake: skipping the rest; the gluten fights back and the dough tears when you stretch it.
20 minStep 3: Meanwhile fry 9 oz minced beef with 1 onion in a dry pan over a medium-high heat for 6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Add 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp fresh ginger, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp mild curry powder, 1 green chilli and ½ tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes more, until there is no pink left and the mince reaches 160°F. Cool for 5 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Beat 4 eggs with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and 2 spring onions, then stir in the mince.
2 minStep 5: Oil the work surface and your hands. Press a dough ball flat, then stretch it out from the middle with your fingertips into a very thin square about 30 cm across, so thin you can almost see through it.
3 minStep 6: Heat a large frying pan or flat griddle over a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Lay the dough sheet in, spoon a quarter of the filling into the centre and fold the four sides over to make a square parcel, working quickly while the egg is still runny.
2 minStep 7: Cook for 2–3 minutes until golden underneath, flip and cook for 2–3 minutes more, pressing gently, until both sides are crisp and the parcel feels firm with no liquid egg at the seams. Repeat with the rest.
5 minStep 8: Cut each parcel into quarters and serve hot with 4 tbsp chilli sauce or tamarind chutney.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mkate mayai take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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