Nigerian Egg Roll
An easy vegetarian built around all-purpose flour, baking powder and ground nutmeg — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- First hard-boil 4 of the eggs: lower them into boiling water and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes so the yolks are fully set, then cool under cold running water, peel carefully and pat completely dry; these whole eggs go in the centre of each roll.
- In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground nutmeg, salt and sugar, then rub in the cold unsalted butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Beat the remaining raw egg with the evaporated milk, add it to the flour mixture and mix to a firm, smooth, non-sticky dough, adding a teaspoon of milk at a time only if it is too dry; cover and rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, flatten each into a disc, place a dry boiled egg in the centre and wrap the dough fully around it, sealing all seams and smoothing the surface so there are no cracks that could open during frying.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan to about 160 C (325 F); the temperature must stay moderate so the dough cooks through to the centre before the outside over-browns.
- Lower the wrapped eggs into the oil and fry, turning frequently for even colour, for about 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden brown all over and the dough is cooked through with no raw centre.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and let cool slightly, then cut in half to reveal the whole egg before serving.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Egg Roll take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Nigerian Egg Roll vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Nigerian Egg Roll is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Easter egg roll boys2.jpg (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.