Puffpuff
Imagine my elation when I realised as 1st year University student in Berlin, that I had become a pro at Puffpuff making. All the credit goes to my puffpuff guru Brenda- who patiently taught me and my African communities of Berlin, UK and Doha who enjoyed my puff puff and inspired me to keep improving. I was lucky that the new puffpuff frying skill came with the knowledge that Puffpuff is calorie dense, addictive and a real hazard to healthy eating goals if not consumed in moderation!!! As a Cameroonin we simply consume the product of this recipe with different sides eg beans or protein. So it was hilarious to Kila ( my Cameroonian sister) and I when our Ghanian sisters Naa and Kate were horrified and insisted sweet and salty cannot be mixed and they only consume puffpuff with tea. (dressed up like ladies and wearing fascinators- we would tease them- especially lady Katherine). Their insight however inspired me to vary my recipe – making sweeter if to be consumed with tea or as a desert if sprinkled with sugar or steeped in date syrup or honey to transform to luqaimat an Arabic dessert. My daughter Macey discovered came up with this innovation after tasting luqaimat at school during international day bring and share.
Ingredients
- 375 g Self-raising flour
- 375 g All-purpose flour
- 300 g Sugar
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 500 ml Warm Water
- 7 g Instant yeast
- Vegetable Oil (for deep frying)
Instructions
- Mix the salt, sugar, water, and yeast into a deep bowl that will allow the batter to double in size without overflowing . Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add flour and mix until homogenous
- Then “beat” the batter for about 2 minutes, to let in air
- Cover and set the mixture aside in a warm place ( eg oven ) for approximately 1 hour
- Add 400ml or more of vegetable oil to a large, sauce pan to approximately about 5 cm high (to ensure balls will be submerged to ensure well rounded balls ), and place on medium heat. ( Gas mark 7 or 8 )
- Test oil temperature by dropping a spoonful of batter into the oil. When the batter rises to the top then the oil is at the right temperature for frying
- Either squeeze the batter using your hands into the hot oil or use two spoons; one spoon to scoop up the batter, and another spoon or to push the batter into the oil, the shape of a ball. Keep adding until balls cover the oil
- 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 scoop to remove the fried batter balls and place on a strainer or tissue to drain/soak up some of the excess oil
- Serve as a side, appetiser or snack with tea or coffee ( making sweeter especially if you are Ghanian and can’nt mix sweet and savoury)
Notes
Glycemic Index 73 High
Glycemic Load 42 High Chef’s hint
Make a big batch and freeze in servings of 4 puff puff which you can microwave for up to two minutes to defrost
Glycemic Load 42 High Chef’s hint
Make a big batch and freeze in servings of 4 puff puff which you can microwave for up to two minutes to defrost
Nutrition
Serving: 4PuffpuffsCalories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 57.69gProtein: 5gFat: 1.7gSodium: 1229mgFiber: 1.35gSugar: 20g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!