Traditional vetkoek is one of those amazing foods that just everybody loves. You can do anything with it and eat it anywhere and any time of day. The recipe is easy, the ingredients simple and the delicious flavour guaranteed. Trust me, you want to try these out.
How do you eat vetkoek?
Absolutely any which way you want to! Vetkoek are basically deep fried dough balls that leave you with a mouthwatering but subtle flavour. There is just something special about the combination of ingredients and method of cooking. You can enjoyed completely on their own or filled with mince, chicken, vegetarian curry, bacon and eggs, butter and honey, jam and cheese, just cheese…. you could even just stuff pieces of chocolate straight into a hot vetkoek and melt away into your own little heaven as you bite in. The options are endless.
When do you eat vetkoek?
Anytime! Filled with bacon and eggs for breakfast, maybe a little later in the day with something sweet, otherwise a bolognese or any warm saucy dish would work wonders as a filling to create a lunch or dinner meal. Like bread, they are best served fresh and warm but should you want to make batches and store some it is best to freeze them as soon as they are cool and use an airtight container.
This recipe sounds too good to be true, but sometimes there are these amazing little things that are simply too good, but they exist and are just waiting for you to choose the filling.
Traditional South African Fried Vetkoek
Ingredients
- 1 kg Cake Flour
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 packet Dried Yeast
- 600 ml Water lukewarm
- Butter
- Oil
Instructions
- Add the salt and yeast to the flour and stir with one hand and then mix with the lukewarm water. OR Mix lukewarm water and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to bubble slightly about 5 minutes.
- Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl.
- Pour water over flour mixture, butter your hands and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic 5 to 7 minutes. If there are pieces of butter on your hands, just knead it in. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth, and let the dough rise in a warm corner until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes, make sure it has doubled enough in volume.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- When the dough is ready, knead it again, buttering your hands again, break a piece off, make a ball according to the size you want and quickly flatten. Fry flattened pieces of dough in the hot oil, 2 to 3 pieces at a time, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. When it feels light, you will know it is cooked.