Vetkoek
Vetkoek are easier to make than most people think and are just so delicious as a sweet or savoury dish. Vetkoek is real South African food which I remember as a kid from the accounts clerks at my Dads business. They are fabulous Afrikaans women with a serious passion for traditional South African food.
What you need
1 kg white bread flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet instant yeast
1l lukewarm water
Oil for frying
The process
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar, salt and dry yeast and combine it all well.
Add the water a little at a time stirring constantly until the dough forms and begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Depending on the brand of flour you will use between 800m and 1Liter so don’t put it all in until you have mixed. What you are looking for is the dough pulling away from the sides of the bowl and a little sticky.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and allow it to rise and reach about double the size. This shouldn’t take longer than about 20 minutes in summer bur up to an hour in winter.
Heat oil in a pot, not too hot or the vetkoek will not cook through.
Wet your hands with a little water and shape pieces of the risen dough into balls that fit into your palm easily.
Place in the hot oil and cook until golden and crisp on the outside.
Place them on a wire rack to drain thoroughly, this keeps them crisp.
Smother them in syrup for a sweet tooth or slit them open and fill with a curried mince.
Another really traditional South Africa recipe is Denningvleis, give it a try.
Hi G! Thanx for this receipe. I want to make these vetkoeks for a selling in the township where I stay. Please tell me if this receipe is the right one or there is a different one. Thanks G!
Hi Thulani, there a quite a few variations on the recipe and this is also a very good one.
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/160267/vetkoek
Have a lekker day G
1 kg flour and a C of sugar? For 8? Man, you must have huge hands!
Now where did I put my fryer… 🙂
Haha, I just love Vetkoek, thats 8 hungry people… 🙂 Have a lekker day G
I so want to make these, but I can never deep fry anything! How hot is not too hot, or not too cold? Shall I buy a thermometer to get it right? My last vetkoeke could be used as bricks in a low cost housing scheme…
Hi Sonja, well we certainly need lots of bricks in SA… No seriously, if the oil smokes it’s too hot. I have a stove that goes from 1 to 6 as a max temp and I use 5 but if you cook the first one and it is very dark on the outside and still soft on the inside, reduce the heat. A thermometer would be best but really not necessary. Have a lekker day G
Graham,
Thanks for the quick response to my earlier posting.
I have tried the following variation: Add 2tsp Mild Curry, 1tsp Turmeric & 1/2tsp aniseed to 1/2cup of hot water, mix and add to the meat 10mins before serving. Stir through. Brilliant!
Thanks Ferdie, that sounds great and what it’s all about… making it your own. Have a great day G
Hi Graham
I’m single so question is will the left over dough keep in the fridge/freezer, and if so for how long.
Many thanks for the recipe.
Hi Colin, the dough will keep a day or two without any hassle, but always best made the same day. Cheers for now G
Graham,
Like some of your other correspondents, I also live abroad, but the cravings will always remain. Vetkoek is one of many!
Please, can you quantify a “sachet” of dry yeast as per your Vetkoek recipe? We obviously do not get the sam product here in the UK. Dry yeast? Yes! But packaged differently.
Thanks,
Ferdie
Hi Ferdie, A yeats sachet is 10g of dry yeast, so glad you found us, enjoy the summer while it lasts… Cheers for now G
Can one use cake flour instead of breadflour?
Hi Al, you could and they will work out but bread flour is the best. Cheers G
I would love a good vetkoek recipe, have been living in canada for the past 8 years and suddenly I crave them .. thanks so much
Happy memories of SA.. Cheers G
Hi Graham, Firstly thank-you for all these wonderful recipes. I must admit I often refer to your website when I am stumped for ideas and my family and friends just can’t get enough.
How many vetkoek does this recipe make ?
Thanks
Hi Des, makes about 8 handful size vetkoek. So glad you are enjoying, have a great time. Enjoy them. G
Lekker and fast, just maybe to much sugar.
Thanks Sarel, gotta love em…