It's sweet, its savoury, its Plantain Puffies on fleek!!!

I'm officially saying goodbye to good old puffies as we've always known them. This newly discovered recipe is off the chain. I've had plantain and banana fritters in the past but these stood out for me because of the combo of spicy and sweet. I also blended the plantain and used yeast for the mix rather than baking soda which is what's used for the fritters.


INGREDIENTS
Sugar 1/2 cup
Water 2, 1/2 cups
Yeast, 7g
Salt, a pinch
Chopped Onions, 1 Tbsp (fresh or dried)
Chilli flakes or dried ground pepper, 1 tsp
All Purpose Flour, 3 cups
Cinnamon powder, 1 Tsp
1 ripe plantain.

METHOD

Activate your yeast by mixing it with a cup of water from the 2,1/2 cups and set aside (make sure your water is not too hot or too cold, it should be about the temperature of baby milk in a bottle)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a clean, deep bowl.

 Quickly blend your plantain with some of the water allowed in the recipe.

 Your activated yeast should be frothy in about 6 minutes. Pour this into the flour mix in the bowl.

 Pour in the blended plantain and mix. At the same time add the remaining water and stir thoroughly.

 Your batter shouldn't be too runny.

 Cover and keep in a warm place. I normally switch on my oven for a minute to make it warm before keeping my mix there for about 45-60mins.

 See how its doubled in size? Ready for frying!!!

 I use my hand to drop the mix in hot oil. Turn with a fork as it begins to cook.

 Don't they look lovely?
Serve with a cold drink or hot tea...whatever catches your fancy.

Nigeria puff puff..... Extra spicy and sweet puff puff using self raising flour.

You would ask, WHY USE YEAST?????... Despite it been self raising flour, I love the bounciness the yeast gives to the snack. When using self raising flour for puff puff you don't need to wait several minute, max 10 mins including the yeast you good to go. 

NB. The same amount of ingredients can also be used, when using all-purpose or plain flour, the only differences is that you would have to wait much longer for the yeast to perform its MAGIC

• 280g self raising flour
• 110g sugar
• 7g active dried yeast
• 190ml luke warm milk
• 30ml luke warm water
• Pinch of salt
• 1tsp crushed chilli
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Step 1. Start by adding sugar to  luke warm glass of water

Step 2. Add in the active dried yeast, stir and set aside for 5mins

Step 3. The yeast should look like this after 5mins or so...

Step 4. Measure all the ingredients into a big bowl, pour in the activated yeast then the milk

Step 5. Combine all the ingredients together, using a wooden spoon. The consistence should be as below (not runny yet not too thick)

Step 6. Once mixed, place inside the microwave or in a very warm place just for 10mins. 

Step 7.  Once the oil in the deep fryer is hot enough, start frying the batter

Step 9. Once all sides are brown, take the deep fryer basket out... this helps to drain any excess oil from the puff puff. (to check if the puff puff are well fried, gently use the tip of a fork, to press down.. if its bounces back up, its cooked.. if not return to deep fryer). 

And finallyyyyyyyy serve, with sum sprinkle of chilli flakes and icing sugar

NIGERIAN BUNS: CRUNCHY MEETS CAKEY!!!

YOU'LL NEED

Baking powder 1 tablespoon
Butter 85ml (at room temperature)
Milk  195ml
Eggs  3
Sugar 100g or less if needed
Pinch of salt
vanilla essence 1 teaspoon
Plain/All purpose Flour  400g
Vegetable oil of your choice for frying

METHOD

We don't want to over mix so everything will be added and incorporated gently. First we'll add the butter to the flour in a clean bowl.

 Next add your sugar and baking powder...

Add your eggs...

Add your salt...

add milk...

Now use clean hands to gently mix and fold all together.

Your batter should look like this, not watery and not hard.

Now you have to wash off all the batter from your hands as we prepare to fry. In a bowl pour in warm water and some oil, because sticky hands are difficult to work when handling dough.

 Make some balls with your mix.

Drop in hot oil and fry for a few minutes. Fry a few at a time till they are a light golden brown. Use medium heat so it can cook through to the core without burning on the outside.

Fry a few at a time till they are a light golden brown. Use medium heat so it can cook through to the centre without burning. A lot of people make the mistake of cooking with high heat and end up with cooked outside and burnt inside buns!!!

Serve and enjoy.

Healthy toasted puff puff, also same recipe but with a toaster (TOASTER PUFF PUFF)

If you ever lived in Nigeria and certain parts of West Africa you'll understand our love for this greasy, deep fried snack. It's also a popular finger food at parties.

I love them a lot but the deep fried aspect makes me stay away from them.  After seeing Abimbola's toaster cake I got thinking and I reckoned, why not?

I brought out my toaster and began the "experiment" as my kids called it.

The result was phenomenal, fluffy and tasty puffies without all that grease we've come to associate with it.

The kids loved it and they are not an easy bunch to please.

How can you achieve this healthier version of the popular snack?

YOU'LL NEED

270g of self raising flour or wholemeal flour
7g fast active dry yeast
270ml cup of warm water
1/2 cup of granulated Sugar or caster 
1 teaspoon of nutmeg or vanilla or any flavouring of your choice
A  pinch of salt

METHOD


We have to activate our yeast first of all by pouring it into a small bowl...

                                                     

Add a spoonful of sugar from the measured sugar

and some warm water from the 270ml, not too hot please.. because that would kill the yeast.

 stir and set aside, the yeast would be activated in about five minutes.

 Pour your flour in a clean bowl.

 Add your dry ingredients(sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg) mix together

Now add the wet ingredients. In goes the yeast..

Then the water.

Combine all ingredients and mix together, if its lumpy, use your hands (washed of course!!!)

The consistency should be close to runny but not runny.

Cover with a clean towel and set aside in a warm place for about 45 mins. I sometimes keep in my microwave oven when I'm sure there won't be interference.

Plug in your toaster/sandwich maker, grease the bottom and top parts with a pastry brush.

Now pour in some batter, using the spoon to spread evenly across. Before closing the toaster, make sure the top part is well greased to avoid having your batter stick to it.

 Depending on your toaster heat settings, you should have this beauty ready in about 3mins.

Serve and enjoy!!!
I used store bought sweet chilli and the marriage of sweet and savoury was awesome!!! Nothing beat an