As a child, I would often watch in amazement how the women selling the puffs would grab the mixture with the tip of their fingers, place it in the palm of their hands, and drop the mixture in oil. I was fascinated by this process and would go home and practice this act with any mixture I had on hand. But it never came out as proportional or as visually appealing as the women did it. After years of practice as an adult, I think I can proudly say that I finally got the hang of it. It is an easy and quick recipe to make with different variations. This recipe is the one I have been making for years and the one that takes me back to my hometown. It brings back memories of late-night snacking on the street.
Recipe Ingredients
Trust me when I say that cooking these puff puffs is as mesmerizing as it is tasty. The best part about this treat is that it only needs a handful of ingredients. You might already have these in your pantry:
Flour – This pantry must-have isn’t just for baking. It’s also great for many savory dishes. Yeast – This is basically the life of the recipe as it makes the dough rise for an airy, fluffy texture. Warm Water – An essential part of making any dough. It’s the basis for forming our treat. It’s important to have just the right warmth. If the water is too hot, it kills the yeast. If too cold, the yeast has a hard time rising. Sugar – Common table sugar you can easily find in any grocery store gives this recipe a slight sweetness and feeds the yeast for a good rise. Cooking Oil – The necessary ingredient for deep frying the puff puffs.
How to Make Puff Puff
Activate the yeast: Mix salt, water, sugar, and yeast. Set it aside for 5 minutes (Photo 1) Make the dough: Add flour and mix (Photo 2)
Rest and Rise: Let the mixture rise for approximately 1-2 hours (Photos 3-5) Pre-heat the oil: In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil into a pot until it’s about 3 inches (or 5 centimeters ) high (too little will result into flatter balls), and place in low heat Check the heat: Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom instead of rising to the top. Fry the puff puff: Hand Method: Using your hands, grab a little bit of mixture at a time and drop it into the oil. (See photo 6) Spoon Method: When the oil is hot enough, use a spoon to dish up the batter and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil. Sort of in the shape of a ball.
Check the doneness: Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown (Photo 7) Flip the puff puff: Turn the ball over for a few minutes until the underside is golden brown. (Photo 8) Remove from oil: Use a large spoon or a slotted spoon to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil. Coat the puff puff: If desired, you can roll up the finished products in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Serving Suggestions
Puff-puff is usually eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or as a side dish. Regardless of when you eat them, they are enjoyable with or without a side dish. A must-have for me – pepper sauce. The beauty of puff puffs is that you can eat them sweet or savory. They’re a great snack, appetizer, or dessert. I often eat it as a snack or appetizer. My son definitely loves it as a simple dessert with just a bit of powdered sugar. Another great dessert/snack is homemade bon bons. Yum! If you’re craving more, then these recipes from my list of African snacks and appetizers should help you feel satisfied.
Tips and Tricks for Making Puff Puff
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pGrRksuf” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Puff Puff” description=”Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!”] This blog post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated with additional tips.
