Chin - Chin Recipe

Shirley's Way:

How to make Nigerian Chin-Chin

Freshly made Chin - Chin

Chin-chin (sometimes called chim-chim) is a semi-sweet, crunchy, deep-fried snack that is a staple at every major Nigerian event or holiday.  As a child, my mom used to make this delectable treat on special occasions and used to let me help her make it, so this fun snack holds a special place in my heart. Before I get into the dish itself, let me first talk about the variations of the treat and why I prefer one way over the other.  With chin-chin, you're either a fan of the hard and crunchy style, or you're a lover of the soft chewy style.  I personally rock with the soft-chewy style so I'll be sharing my recipe on how to make my preferred style.  For all you hard crunchy lovers don't worry I gotchu!  I will let you know what you can omit to to make a crunchy version that will fulfill all your desires. 

Soft vs Crunchy

Team Softy - For those who love the soft style like me, you'll find the soft version of chin-chin essentially never changes.  From the moment you pull it out the fryer, to days later when you are enjoying the last of your stash, chin-chin will have a firm, yet tender texture that will leave you smiling from ear-to-ear.  Think fresh made cookies with a firm exterior.  If that visual is giving you #allthefeels, then soft is the right choice for you. 

Team Crunchy- I don't know how y'all do it, but those who are fans of the crunchy love it simply for the crunch.  If you are obsessed with chips, or eating the un-popped popcorn, or enjoy munching on ice, then crunchy chin-chin might be your desired style.

So now that you know the different styles, it's time to pick out which type you want to make.  If you want your chin-chin soft, then follow my recipe below as is, if you rather go with the crunchy style, then all you will need to do is omit the eggs from the recipe.   Simple as that.  Now let's get to it!

Ingredients

• 8 cups (1kg) plain flour (all purpose flour)

• 10oz Peak Evaporated Milk

• 250g/8oz margarine

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (add up to a half cup more if you want it very sweet)

• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

• 2 eggs (optional)

• Some water (only if necessary)

• Vegetable oil (for frying)

Tips

Before you start: 

Do not use self-rising or gluten-free flour.  All purpose flour only. 

If you prefer crunchy chin-chin then omit the eggs.

Use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make mixing the dough wildly easier

To make cutting easier, use a pizza cutter

Preparation

1. Sift the flour into a big  bowl.  Make sure the bowl is big enough for all the ingredients and for the initial kneading. 

2. Add the sugar, ground nutmeg, cinnamon and mix.

3. Add the margarine in small chunks. Rub it into your dry mix (with your hands) until you get a good mix that feels like crumbs.

4. Add your eggs, vanilla extract, and Peak milk and mix with a spatula. Then knead by hand until a ball of dough is formed. This is the perfect time to pull out your stand mixer if you have one, but if you don't roll up your sleeves because this will take some time and a bit of arm strength.  It will feel like there's not enough liquid and you will be tempted to add more liquid but DON’t.  The liquid you have should be enough. You just need to work it a bit to mix it. If you really really can't get it to form a dough, add a tiny quantity of water bit by bit till the dough is formed. 

5. When dough has been formed, cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for about 15 minutes.

6. After 15 minutes, you will notice that the dough is softer and knead it some more.

7. Roll out small bits of dough and cut with a knife or a pizza cutter.  Do not use flour to dust the chin chin because this causes the oil to foam during frying. (If you mixed the chin chin very well, there will be no

8. need to dusting with flour while cutting the chin chin.)

9. Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil into a deep pot or deep fryer and heat the oil to 350F. 

10. As the oil heats up, test the temperature with one piece of raw chin chin. If the oil is hot enough, the piece of chin chin will sizzle and rise to the top almost immediately.

11. Once you confirm that the oil is hot enough, collect some chin chin and place in the oil, be careful not to overcrowd your pot. Stir to make sure the pieces don't stick together.

12. Keep stirring occasionally until the chin chin browns to your liking. Remember, the chin chin will keep cooking when you take them out of the oil so don’t let them get too dark during the frying process.  (I generally cook each batch for 2 minutes and stir halfway through).

13. When the color is to your liking, pull from the oil and place in a sieve lined with paper towels to collect the excess oil.  

14. Serve fresh from the fire or let it cool...whichever you prefer.

15. When it's completely cool, store in airtight containers.