Mikate - Congolese Fried Dough
D.R COngo - central Africa
Prep: 15 min - Resting: 1 hour - Cooking: 30 min
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Mikate are delicious Congolese donuts made from sweet fried dough. They’re super popular in D.R. Congo and eaten anytime—during celebrations like birthdays or weddings, or just as a snack. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner—you name it. You can easily find them as street food, sold at local stands run by neighborhood aunties.
This is one of my favorite Congolese dishes, and honestly, one I miss the most when I’m away from Congo. Around where I live, it’s not easy to find.
Funny enough, even though I love them so much, this was the first time I actually made them! Technically, they’re pretty easy to make, but forming perfect balls was tricky. Mine looked like little aliens! Still, they were absolutely delicious—soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. In Congo, we usually eat them with peanut butter or freshly roasted peanuts—I personally prefer that 10 times over a simple icing sugar topping.
Anyway, I highly recommend this African treat. Give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you manage to make perfectly round balls, I’m all ears—seriously, tips welcome!
Ingredients
For 11-12 Mikate Balls
250g flour
290 ml lukewarm water
100g white sugar
1 tablespoon baker's yeast
½ teaspoon salt
Oil for frying
Here is how I Made IT
1. In a large bowl, I combined the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, then mixed everything together.
Flour, sugar,salt,yeast
2. I poured in warm water—not too hot to avoid killing the yeast, and not too cold to help the dough rise more easily.
Warm water
3. I knead the dough for about 3–5 minutes until it becomes elastic. It shouldn't be too runny to form balls, nor too stiff, or the donuts will be hard. I let the dough rest for 1 hour (Note: The resting time depends on the type of yeast you use! I used Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast).
4. After 1 hour, the dough had doubled in size. I punched it down by kneading it again before moving on to cooking.
5. I heat the oil and fry the dough over medium heat, dropping in small balls (hum hum) and turning them regularly to ensure they brown evenly.
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“Mikate” means “small cake” in Kikongo and Lingala, and “bread” in Swahili and Tshiluba—four of the five official languages of the D.R. Congo. In French, the fifth official language, Congolese call them “beignets,” which translates to “donuts.”
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Mikate aren’t limited to Congo—they’re found in many other parts of Africa under different names, like Puff-Puff in Nigeria or Botocoin in Togo (let me know if you’ve spotted them elsewhere!). I’ve tried the Togolese versions and they’re quite similar, though they’re not commonly eaten with peanut butter there. That part, I think, is typically Congolese. I’d be curious to know what you eat them with and when in other parts of Africa— let me know in the comments!
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Traditionally, Mikate is made with yeast for that soft, airy texture. Some modern versions use baking powder for a quicker rise. The choice subtly changes the texture—yeast gives a slightly chewier, more bread-like interior.
I used 7 g of Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast (one packet) and let my dough rest for 1 hour near a warm spot (my heater) to speed up the process.
Nutrional Info
APPROX. PER 1 MIKATE BALL (55-60G EACH)
| Calories | Fat | Sat Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 193 kcal | 8.3 g | 1.2 g | 14.1 g |
| Sugar | Fibre | Protein | Salt |
| 4.5 g | 0.55 g | 1.6 g | 0.14 g |
