Nigerian Puff-Puff
Puff-puff is a popular street food in West Africa and it’s made with just three ingredients: flour, sugar, and yeast, mixed and then deep-fried.
This appetizer is called puff-puff because when squeezed, it springs back like foam. It is spherical with a brown outside and white interior, and is very tasty.
It is a traditional Nigerian dessert served at holidays such as Christmas and birthdays. Children, especially love this snack due to its sweetness. It is also a popular dish in Cameroon, where it is served with beans.
I like mine with chilled orange juice, how about you? But let’s get to the cooking. It is recognized that getting the batter just right is a challenge. I use the recipe below, which is very easy, takes little time, and has been tried and tested.
Enjoy this classic puff-puff recipe!
Nigerian Puff-Puff
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- pepper to taste
- 1¼ cups water
- 2 tsps yeast
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar + 1 tsp for proofing the yeast
- ¼ cup vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix half of a cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the yeast in a cup. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to proof.
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.
- Pour the proofed yeast and the remaining one cup of water into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is lump-free. Add pepper and mix thoroughly.
- Cover the batter and allow it to rise for 1 hour. When ready for frying, the batter will give off a distinct sweet smell.
- Preheat the oil in a suitably sized pan. Scoop up a little batter with a spoon and drop into the oil.
- Fry all over until golden brown. If you are finding it hard to turn the puff puff while frying, just press the balls down a little bit with your spoon and then turn them.
- Remove from the heat. Drain on paper towel and enjoy while still hot or warm.
Notes
