African Fish Roll (Fish Pie)
African Fish Roll (Fish pie) — a popular West African street food – specifically in Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana that is made with some sort of shortcut pastry filled with sardines and spices. These fried fish pies are crunchy, slightly sweet, spicy and oh so good!!
Over the years I have tried several times to make African fish pie or fish roll, as it’s commonly called in Cameroon, but was extremely disappointed at the results. Then, one of my aunts said casually, “Well, it is just puff-puff mixture with butter and sardines” and it hit me “Duh! That’s it! I decided to try my hand again at this recipe and after several disastrous results I came up with one am proud to share.
An African fish pie is a popular West African streetfood – specifically in Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana that is made with some sort of shortcut pastry fill with sardines and spices. In Cameroon, it is rolled up, while in other countries it is made in the shape of meat pie (empanadas).
These tasty snacks are deep fried not baked; however for a healthy version you can bake them. The baked version would taste slightly different from the deep fried version. To be honest…there is no comparison, fried fish pie is crunchy, slightly sweet, spicy and oh so good.
It is really all the rage for adults and kids, who would hurriedly leave school, in an attempt to get a piece from the ladies selling it, at the entrance of the school. It is more convenient to buy from the street vendors than make it at home in Africa.
Maybe because it is looked down as “poor man’s” snack. Meat pies are the “rich man‘s version. Africans living abroad would classify it as a” MUST EAT” at parties – it flies off the table.
This version of fish pie is made with canned sardines in tomato chilli sauce , slowly simmered with onions and a little bit of curry until all the liquid has evaporated. Then the mixture is folded in the pastry and deep fried until golden brown.
It is somewhat tedious to make, but is worth it at the end. Do make it!!!
Watch How to Make It
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African Fish Roll (Fish Pie)
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 can sardines in chili tomato sauce 15oz or 425gram
- ½ medium onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
Dough
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon water
- 1¼ teaspoon yeast
- 2 ½ tablespoons or 30grams sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 4 cups or 500grams flour All Purpose Flour
- 5 oz or 142g unsalted butter margarine
Instructions
- Drain half of the tomato sauce from the mackerel and place in a medium sauce pan. Then add the onions, curry powder and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until almost all the liquid has evaporated , add parsley . Stir and simmer for about 2 more minutes. Set aside and let it cool.
- In a large bowl add the warm water, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes
- Using a stand mixer or by hand, mix the flour, sugar, salt, then add margarine, mix well until the ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- Then add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix for about a minute
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth
- Cover and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Divide dough into 1 -2 ounce each- you will have about 25 -35 each depending on the weight.
- On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the each 2 ounce dough until ½” larger in diameter.
- Then place a teaspoon of fish mixture and roll it up. Repeat the process. Set aside the fish pie
- Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat (375) until hot but not smoking.
- Scoop up the batter with a spoon preferably and fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan (it will absorb excess oil, resulting in a soggy fish pies)
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish pie and place them on paper towels.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Imma, your recipe was so easy to follow. I used baking powder instead of yeast but this came out so good! Munching now:)
Aunty Mams
I am so glad you enjoyed it Aunty Mams .Maybe, I might try them with baking powder. -always looking for any excuse to make these. However, my waistline tells me not too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hello Miss Immaculate i tried dis now but my own no follow at all, y d body of my fishrol no smoth at al wetin causam abi i no put bakn powder or wat infact i dey ves wel wel bcos d one i dey buy 4my nebo dey sweet wel wel n d body dey smoth so corect me cos i dey ves 4u n d fish pie bye bye
Hi Immaculate,
As most of the other ladies have commented, this is a God sent. I have always love fish roll as we know it in Cameroon from my primary and secondary school days. Making it is something I have never tried. After revisiting memory at a Cameroonian occasion yesterday, I decided I needed to be able to do it for my own purposes. I am definitely going to try this shortly. I just know this will definitely be worthwhile
Pascaline, fish roll is a labor of love and so worth it! It definitely would send back memory lane. Let me know how you like it and thank you for taking the time to comment- so greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for this recipe, delicious but had the problem of it falling apart and absorbing extra oil. But it maybe because I did not follow exact measurements. God bless and good job
I had the same problem (falling apart). When you roll the fish roll, brush a little water on the tip of the top flap so that it sticks to the dough. That worked for me.
Absorbing oil is an issue with temperature of the oil you used to fry the fish roll. Increase temperature will give you less absorbance. But be careful because if you increase it too much, it will burn the fish roll without fully cooking the dough inside.
Thanks Gisele. It worked! Made some today and they were great! God bless
God bless you! I’m Cameroonian, and my mom taught me how to cook. There are very few Cameroonian cookbooks, so I can only rely on what my mom knows. But since you have this website, I can learn how to cook more things.
You are awesome 🙂
I agree with you about too few Cameroonian cookbooks ,if any at all. Hope you let me know how you like these recipes. Thanks for stopping by!
This is such a good thought. Imma, have you thought about doing this? An African cookbook even if not Cameroonian. That would be quite a thing. I’d definitely buy!
Am entertaining the idea, been putting a few recipes together. Hopefully by fall. Thanks for taking the time to share this with me.
Jenise , I hope you had a great thanksgiving. I am happy you and your family enjoy the recipes . Thanks for taking the time to comment , this is the only way to know if anyone is actually making these African bites . Thank you
Hello Imma,
The puff-puff recipe was just on the ball. My father is from Africa and he asked me to make him some puff-puff following the recipe in this site. I did it and it came out so beautifully and since the first day I have not stopped making puff-puff. Today, we are trying the fish-roll for thanksgiving. I have made some puff-puff to be part of our thanksgiving meal as well. I am just waiting to fry the fish-roll.
Imma, thank you so much for having these recipes on this website. It’s helping so many of us make our own African bites instead of buying. My brothers like all the African bites and I like them the most. Again, Thank you.
Jenise Atemafac
Hi African bites. I followed your recipe but my fish rolls keep falling apart when I fry them. Should I use yeast or baking powder? Most people I have asked use baking powder. Tastes great but disappointed with it falling apart. What am I doing wrong?
Omerine,here are a couple of tips to keep in mind; roll your fish roll tightly, make sure they are moist enough to hold together. Try reducing the yeast by 1/2 teaspoon and replace with baking powder . You can also try them with baking powder only. It will yield a slightly different taste. Hope this helps
Blessed, 5 oz equals approximate 142grams of butter . The sardine you use for this recipe is the one that comes in tomato sauce, they sell sardines in tomato sauce (I like geisha brand). No need for extra tomato sauce . I do not think titus brand sell sardines in tomato sauce.Hopes this answer your question.
Pls i want to ask what is another measurement you can use to replace (5 oz unsalted butter) maybe you can tell me in grams pls.
Then I don’t understand the word: “1 can sardine in chilli tomato sauce” is it that am going to buy 1 can sardine? Or is it caned titus? &and am i going to buy tomatoe sauce, or am i going to make it? if yes how? Pls I need ur help
Would love to link back to this and other recipes.
Crystal, would greatly appreciate the link back. Thanks for stopping by!
Fab recipe,didn’t have sardines so used tinned mackerel and it turned out great.i thought that the rolls would open during frying but to my surprise they stayed in tact and came out perfectly.i fried half the rolls and baked the other, I preferred the bake version less oil and my 3yr old who doesn’t like fish couldn’t get enough of these deliciousness.i also made mini dumplings with the left over dough..delicious xx
Minkmama, thank you for the the feedback and glad it worked out for you.
thanks a million i have been trying forever to make fish rolls as we call it and never succeeded and just seening ur receipe has given new hope and though i have not yet tried it. the receipe it so down to earth and am sure this time it will be alright especially as you saved us the trouble of measuring in grams which an average African girl like me doesn’t understand or use. thanks so much
Yes Imma, is just amazing! Great job!
Thanks Yvonne
God bless you beyond your widest expectations! You don’t even know what you just did releasing this recipe, because am just from making some fish roll now but it didn’t come out the way I wanted, but just reading from you now I think I got itf
Hey ! u are a life saver, I have been looking for this recipe trust me for ages and this morning I stumbled on it, am so excited I immediately tried it, it’s simply heaven. It takes me back home to my primary school days. Thanks a lot
I am glad you liked it!!!!!
Thanks a lot. Will be waiting eagerly for the African doughnut recipe. Will appreciate. You have made me to become a better cook. I am very proud when I serve some of your dishes. Thank you!!
Kelsey ,thanks for trying out the recipe and for the feedback. Next time when making the fish pie, firmly roll it to prevent the edges from falling apart. I do have a good African doughnut recipe will post it in a few weeks.
I did try the fish roll recipe and it came out very good. One of the best so far. I did use beaten egg to seal the edges of the fish roll because I realized the edges were loosing while frying. Thank you so much. I have always been searching for a good donuts recipe, the one usually made at Cameroonian parties. Will be glad to know that.
You are the best!! I have been searching for this recipe for ever; I have tried other recipes but not to my satisfaction. I trust your cooking and know this is it. Will try it and let you know the results. Thank you!!!