African Snacks & Sides Recipes

African snacks and side dishes are some of the most addictive foods you will ever taste. From the pillowy sweetness of puff puff to the crispy crunch of chin chin, the spiced caramel of fried plantain to the savoury warmth of akara, these dishes work equally well as party food, street snacks, breakfast items, or accompaniments to a main meal.

Many African snacks are deep-fried, reflecting the street food culture across West Africa where vendors sell these items from morning until night. Others, like moi moi, are steamed and make for a lighter option. What unites them is their versatility — puff puff appears at weddings and on breakfast tables, chin chin fills gift bags at Christmas and is eaten as an everyday snack, and fried plantain (dodo) accompanies everything from jollof rice to beans.