Chin chin, a West African fried snack, can be found at street vendors throughout Nigeria, and the sweet fried dough is made at home for special occasions and holiday meals among Americans of Nigerian extraction. This recipe calls for nutmeg and lime zest, but chin chin can be flavored with lemon, ginger, and other spices as well. Chin chin can be cut into squares or shaped as long straws.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp grated or ground nutmeg
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup milk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lime zest, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Cut butter into flour mixture, rubbing butter in until it is combined with flour.
- Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Crack egg into the center of the well.
- Add milk and beat the egg and milk together, incorporating into the flour until a sticky dough forms.
- On a floured surface, turn out dough and knead it, using more flour if needed, until dough is smooth and pliable.
- Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin to the desired thickness (thin for crunchy chin chin; thick for soft chin chin). Cut dough into squares.
- Heat several inches of oil in a heavy pot. Fry chin chin until golden and crispy; drain on paper towels.
- Before serving, dust with powdered sugar (optional).
Notes
Once the dough has been rolled, it can be cut into any shape using a pasta roller or cookie cutters.
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