Chin chin is a delicious crunchy snack popular in Nigeria and some parts of West Africa. It is a comfort snack made primarily of flour, sugar, and butter.

Its delightful taste has crowned it the snack of choice for Christmas celebrations, birthdays, and weddings. Generally, chin chin can be either hard or soft.

This recipe describes how to make the soft-crunchy type. If you prefer the hard type, simply add an extra 1/2 cup of flour, skip the eggs, and omit baking powder. Now let’s dive in!

Ingredients for soft-crunchy chin chin

4 cups (500 grams) of plain flour (all-purpose flour)
2/3 cup of granulated sugar (134 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon powder (optional)
2/3 cup liquid milk (160ml)
½ cup baking margarine (115 grams)
1 large egg
Few tablespoons of water (if necessary)
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg or cinnamon (if using), salt, and sugar. Add the margarine in small bits and rub it well into the flour till you get a good crumbly mix.
Add egg and milk into the mixture and mix with a spatula. Then knead the mixture with your hand until a ball of dough is formed.
If the dough is too hard, add a small amount of water and knead till the dough is slightly stretchy but not sticky.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, you’ll notice that the dough is softer.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it well again. If the dough is too sticky, you can add small amounts of flour to it.
Divide dough roughly into two pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece thinly to about a quarter of an inch thick (dough will increase in size when you start frying).
Then use a knife or pizza cutter, to cut through vertically and horizontally, forming little squares. You can cut it to any desired shape you want.
Add oil (up to 3 inches deep) to a large pot and allow it to heat up. Test the temperature with a piece of dough. If the oil is hot enough, it should sizzle and come up to the surface almost immediately.
Start frying in small batches by tossing in a spoonful of dough and stirring gently. Continue stirring at intervals till the chin chin turns golden brown.
Remove batch with a drainer spoon and spread on a sieve lined with paper towels. Allow it to drain.
Finally, spread chin chin on trays and allow them to cool down completely (chin chin is soft when hot but hardens as it cools downs).

Store your delicious chin chin in airtight containers. Serve with a chilled drink and fried beef or chicken. Enjoy!

How to Make Nigerian Chin Chin

Recipe by Jennifer ObidikeCourse: AppetizerCuisine: NigerianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hour

Chin chin – A delightful crunchy fried snack made with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

4 cups (500 grams) of plain flour (all-purpose flour)
2/3 cup of granulated sugar (134 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon powder (optional)
2/3 cup liquid milk (160ml)
½ cup baking margarine (115 grams)
1 large egg
Few tablespoons of water (if necessary)
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg or cinnamon (if using), salt, and sugar. Add the margarine in small bits and rub it well into the flour till you get a good crumbly mix.
Add egg and milk into the mixture and mix with a spatula. Then knead the mixture with your hand until a ball of dough is formed.
If the dough is too hard, add a small amount of water and knead till the dough is slightly stretchy but not sticky.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it well again. If the dough is too sticky, you can add small amounts of flour to it.
Divide dough roughly into two pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece thinly to about a quarter of an inch thick.
Then use a knife or pizza cutter, to cut through vertically and horizontally, forming little squares.
Add oil (up to 3 inches deep) to a large pot and allow it to heat up.
Start frying in small batches by tossing in a spoonful of dough and stirring gently. Continue stirring at intervals till the chin chin turns golden brown.
Remove batch with a drainer spoon and spread on a sieve lined with paper towels. Allow it to drain.
Finally, spread chin chin on trays and allow them to cool down completely.