After last week’s Jollof rice posting, I thought I would stay away from any controversial dishes.
Today’s Tasty Tuesday will focus on Fried Dough or otherwise know as Beignet, Puff Puff or Doughnuts depending on the African country. This dish is found all over Africa. It is often made sweet or savory. It has become a staple on the menus of most African cuisines. It transcends all age barriers.
Some say it was the Portuguese who introduced the concept of fried dough to the world. Fried dough is found in almost every cuisine from India to Africa and in between.
Those of you familiar with the Beignet of Louisiana, this recipe is a bit more dense. It tastes more like a doughnut hole, but a little bigger.
HOW DO YOU MAKE IT IN YOUR COUNTRY? WHAT DO YOU EAT IT WITH?
Puff-Puff Recipe
Author: AfricanBites
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: African
Ingredients
• 2 cups warm water
• 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 3½ cups flour
• ½- 3/4 cup sugar
• ½ Tbs salt
• Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Mix salt, sugar, water, and yeast . Set aside for 5 minutes
Add flour and mix. Let the mixture rise for approximately 1- 2 hours
In a large, sauce pan pour vegetable oil into a pot, until it is at least 3 inches (or about 5 centimeters) high (too little will result in flatter balls), and place on low heat. Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a ‘drop’ of batter into the oil. If it is not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom of the pot rather than rising to the top. Using your hands grab a little bit of mixture at time and drop in the oil. 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. Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the ball over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown. Use a large spoon or something like that to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil. If desired, you can roll the finished product in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
