← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 250 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 60 g Sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp instant or active dried yeast
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 250 ml lukewarm water
• 1.5 l oil for deep frying

Method

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and beat with your hand or a wooden spoon for 2–3 min into a thick, smooth, stretchy batter, thicker than pancake batter.
2. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45 min–1 hour, until doubled and full of bubbles.
3. Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan to 170°C (340°F); a drop of batter should sizzle and rise at once. Fill the pan no more than a third full.
4. Scoop up some batter with your hand and squeeze a ball out between thumb and forefinger (or use two spoons), dropping it gently into the oil. Fry a few at a time.
5. Turn them as they puff up and cook for 3–4 min until deep golden all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.
6. Roll in sugar while still warm and eat the same day.

Tips

• If they come out raw inside, the oil is too hot; if they soak up oil, it is too cool.
• Never leave hot oil unattended and keep children well away from the pan.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Chef Lola's Kitchen Sisi Jemimah BBC Good Food