Chin Chin – West African Fried pastry enjoyed throughout the region especially in Nigeria- Crispy Crunchy and Addictive.
Chin chin is my all time favorite snack -it tastes so good , yet so bad for you .It is a scrumptious fried pastry made in various ways. Throughout West Africa and Nigeria Chin Chin originally was prepared for special occasions. It has evolved from a special occasion food to being a snack food, sold on street corners, kiosk and supermarkets.
Growing up, it was customary at most homes in Cameroon, to make this delicious snack during the Christmas season. Each home has its own variation: some soft to the point of falling apart, others so hard that after a couple of bites you feel like your teeth would break.
Some shaped like small balls; others kneaded and cut into small 1 inch squares. The overall experience of slowly feasting on chin-chin is immeasurable…..I never got tired of trying all the different variations of Chin-Chin.
Even at this ripe old age I still love it , the only issue is, “once I pop I cannot stop”. On one occasion I had to hide it in the trunk of my car. Well, that was a little extreme, but I had to. It is so addictive!!
The ingredients for this recipe are: butter, sugar, eggs and flour and some sort of seasoning. Although the thought of making chin- chin dough can be a little intimidating, this recipe is surprisingly simple and straightforward.
You can shape this however you like. They take no longer to make than any other cookie, and the most time consuming part is probably the frying.
Enjoy!!!
NOTES
- If you like your chin soft then add more butter – 1 or 2 Tablespoons more . Be careful not to use too much butter . If not your chin chin is going to crumble.
- A pasta machine helps in rolling out the dough and shaping it. check it out here
Check out this post here Popular African Food to Celebrate Christmas
Watch How to Make It
Chin Chin
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups 440 grams all-Purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1- teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons margarine/butter
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Using a mixer or by hand mix the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg and lime zest
- Add the butter to the flour and mix well until the butter is well incorporated with the flour.
- Add milk and egg into the mixture. Keep mixing until you have formed a sticky dough ball
- Dump the dough ball onto a floured surface and knead, incorporating more flour into the dough as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and even in color and no longer sticky. Chin-chin can be cut into many shapes and sizes
- Divide dough in half .On a floured board roll each half about 1/6 inches thick. Just like linguine or fettuccine. You can make it easy by using a pasta machine if you have one available. Make shapes as desired.
- Add oil (about 3 inches deep) to a heated skillet/sauce pan or my all time favorite Dutch oven that is over medium heat and bring it to 375 degrees .
- Fry in hot oil until golden .Remove from oil, drain, and serve. You can store this in an air tight container for up to a month.
Tips & Notes:
- For this recipe , I used a standard measuring cup( leveled ). I also used standard measuring spoons.
- If you like your chin soft then add more butter – 1 or 2 Tablespoons more . Be careful not to use too much butter . If not your chin chin is going to crumble.
- A pasta machine helps in rolling out the dough and shaping it. check it out here
Nutrition Information:
Chioma says
This recipe came out perfectly!
Thank you so much for this authentic Nigerian recipe!
Imma says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback Chioma :)!
Darius says
That’s great bebe. I love you and your teaching.
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Joy says
Hi there! Can you bake them instead? What temperature and time?
Imma says
You sure can bake them. Just oil a baking sheet well, place the pieces on the sheet and bake them for about 15-20 minutes in a 325℉/163℃ oven. Please let me know how it goes.
Mercy says
I need the recipe for four liters of chinchin..thank you
Imma says
I’ll give you the ingredient measurements for four times the recipe, but you may find it turns out better if you double the original recipe and make two batches. The dough will be easier to handle. Let me know how it goes.
14 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg (optional)
3 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
3 cups milk
Oil for frying
Afro Treats says
We love African snacks and we love what you do.
Amina says
Thank you. Stay tuned for more recipes.
Jumaina nasir says
I loved this recipe so much!
Amina says
Thank you for your love and support. Stay tuned for more amazing recipes. Thanks
Theophilus iorbee says
I loved this recipe so much! It so beautiful i love it
Amina says
Hi Iorbee,
Thank you for sharing your words. Stay tuned for more amazing recipes. Happy Tuesday
John Smith says
Where are the videos. I see many webpages that state watch videos but I can’t find the link underneath “Watch How To Make It”
ImmaculateBites says
Hey John! Thanks for brining this up! I will surely check this and make sure it works. Please feel free to refresh the page anytime later today.
Ruthie says
Hey
I really love your recipe, they always taste good even at first try.
For this recipe i was wondering if I could use vegetable oil instead of butter or margarine and which quantity if I could.
Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
So glad you liked it!
Sofoluwe deborah says
I luv ur teaching ma, pls ma how many recipe can i use for a paint of flower
ESEOSA says
Helpful, thanks
Dona says
I just tried this recipe. It came out perfect. You have ruined my self-control; I can’t stop eating it. Thank you for sharing.
stella says
pls ma i need the recipe for two paint of flour for cStellahinchin
Faith Ose says
I like this recipe. It was perfect.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Faith!