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Chin chin
Crunchy fried dough nibbles with nutmeg, made by the jarful for Nigerian Christmas
Every December, Nigerian kitchens turn into small factories of chin chin, crunchy little cubes of sweet fried dough packed into big plastic tubs for Christmas visitors, weddings and the long drive back to the village. The dough is enriched with butter, egg and evaporated milk and scented with nutmeg; cut small and fried, it shatters with a satisfying crunch. It keeps for weeks, so families make kilos at a time. Chef's tip: roll the dough evenly thin, about 5 mm, so every piece fries through to a crisp centre at the same time.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 4 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and ¼ tsp salt in a large bowl. Rub in 3 ½ oz cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Step 2: Beat 1 egg with ¾ cup evaporated milk and pour in most of it. Mix to a firm, smooth dough that is not sticky, adding the rest of the milk only if dry crumbs remain.
Step 3: Knead lightly for 1 minute, then rest it under a cloth for 10 minutes so it rolls without shrinking.
Step 4: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 5 mm thick. Cut into 1 cm strips, then across into small cubes or diamonds. Toss them in a little flour so they don't stick together.
Step 5: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil in a deep pan over a medium heat to 350°F. Fry a handful at a time, stirring so they colour evenly, until golden brown and they sound hollow when stirred.
5 minStep 6: Lift onto a tray lined with kitchen paper. A common mistake is pulling them out pale: they need to be properly golden to crisp up as they cool.
Step 7: Leave to cool completely, then store in an airtight jar for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chin chin take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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