Chin Chin (Fried Dough Bites)

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and nutmeg together until evenly combined.

Add the egg, melted butter and milk, and mix until a dough forms.

💡 Hold back the last tablespoon of milk until you see how the dough is coming together. Flour absorbs differently depending on the day, and chin chin dough should be stiff and a little dry — sticky dough will not roll thin or cut cleanly.

Knead the dough for 2–4 minutes, until it is smooth and holds together without cracking at the edges.

Roll the dough out into a thin sheet, about 1/4 to 1/6 inch (4–6 mm) thick.

Check the thickness by eye across the whole sheet — the edges always end up thinner than the middle.

💡 Uneven rolling is why one batch comes out with both burnt slivers and raw centres. Rotate the dough a quarter turn between rolls instead of pushing the pin in one direction.

Cut the sheet into small pieces with a pizza cutter or knife — strips first, then across, so you end up with little squares.

Separate the cut pieces with your fingers so they do not fuse back together while you heat the oil.

💡 Two pieces stuck together fry as one lump — crisp outside, raw dough inside. Thirty seconds of separating saves the batch.

Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat — enough to deep fry, around 170–180°C.

Fry in batches until golden brown, stirring gently so they colour evenly.

💡 Listen rather than watch: chin chin goes quiet and heavy while it is still doughy, then starts to rattle and clatter against the spoon when it is properly crisp. That change in sound is the doneness cue.

Lift them out and drain on paper towel.

💡 Do not crowd the pan at any point — chin chin pieces are small and dropping too many at once collapses the oil temperature, which makes them soak up fat instead of crisping.

Let them cool completely before serving or storing.

💡 She is specific about cooling completely and it is not fussiness — chin chin is still slightly soft when hot and only reaches its proper snap at room temperature. Bag it warm and the trapped steam makes the whole batch chewy.