Vetkoek
Golden fried bread rolls, crisp outside and fluffy within, split and stuffed with curried mince or apricot jam and cheese.
← Nouns Cooking · West & East African
Ingredients
- 500 g cake or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 10 g instant yeast (1 sachet)
- 25 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 430 ml lukewarm water
- 1 l sunflower oil for frying
Method
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the water gradually and knead for 8–10 min into a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Knock the dough back and divide into 12 balls. Set them on a floured tray, cover and rest for 15 min.
- Heat 4 cm of oil in a deep pan to 165°C (330°F). It must not be too hot, or the outside browns before the middle cooks.
- Fry 3–4 at a time for 3–4 min per side, until deep golden and they sound hollow when tapped.
- Drain on kitchen paper. Split and fill with curried mince, or with butter, apricot jam and grated cheese.
Tips
- If unsure, break one open: the centre should be fluffy and cooked, not doughy.
- Called magwinya in isiZulu and isiXhosa; equally loved plain with syrup.
Sources
Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:
Open Vetkoek in Nouns Cooking