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South Africa is made up of a wide variety of peoples and this is reflected in the wide variety of local foods. In the South-western Cape the Malay influence is very strong in the Cape Coloureds, the Dutch influence in the Afrikaner, the traditional cooking of Africa among the Xhosa's, Zulu's and other black people.

Many South African families enjoy a weekend with their families by having their traditional dishes. These range from a spicy curry, a poetjie (many ingredients placed in one large pot on a fire), mealie meal (Crushed corn, a stable diet for most South Africans), to a braai (South African word for a barbecue).

One of the aspects of South African culture that can be experienced without actually having to be in the country is the food. Below are a few recipes of South African dishes. Try them out and experience a bit of South African culture in your own home.

List of Recipes

1. Bobotie

2. Koeksisters

3. Melktert

4. Sosaties

5. Vetkoek

Bobotie

½ kg of mince

1 slice bread soaked in milk

2 small onions sliced

½ an apple sliced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon flour

1½ tablespoons chutney

1 tomato, cut up

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Salt, pepper, water

Fry the onions in about 1 tablespoon of oil. When half done, put in the apple. Add flour and curry powder. Add tomato and water to thin down (not much). Add salt, pepper and chutney. Add meat to the bread, and add all to the curry mixture. Place in pyrex dish. Beat an egg with the milk and pour on top and place lemon leaves on top. Bake at 400° F for about ¾ of an hour.

Koeksisters

4 cups of flour

Pinch of salt

2 Eggs - beaten

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons margarine

1 cup of milk

Hot Oil

Sift dry ingredients. Mix margarine into the flour mix. Add eggs and milk and mix into a dough. Roll out into ½ cm thick by 2 cm wide strips. Plait lightly. Cut 8 cm lengths. Seal ends by pinching dough together. Fry in hot oil. Dip in syrup.

Syrup

5 cups of sugar

1 litre water

10 ml syrup

5 ml lemon juice

Boil the sugar and water for 15 minutes. Add syrup and lemon juice. Allow to cool.

Melktert (Milktart)

½ Packet of tennis biscuits

2 cups of milk

1¼ tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon of butter

1¼ tablespoons of cornflour

1 egg

½ cup of sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla flavouring

Line a pie dish with the biscuits. Cream the sugar, egg, cornflour, and flour into a smooth paste. Add vanilla flavouring and mix well. Boil milk and butter. Then add rest of the ingredients, stir until the mixture starts to boil. Pour into the pie dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Allow to cool in the fridge.

Sosaties

1½ kg leg of lamb

5 onions

¾ bottle brown vinegar

1 tablespoon turmeric

2 tablespoons salt

6 black peppercorns

4 whole allspice

3 cloves

1 piece stick cinnamon

3 bay leaves

6 lemon leaves

4 tablespoons apricot jam

Remove the meat from the bone and cube it. Slice the onions. Combine the vinegar with the remainder of the ingredients to make a marinade. Add onions to the marinade and finally the meat.

Marinade the meat for three to five days, turning occasionally, then skewer it on wooden sosatie sticks together with some of the onion. Cook over a low fire. Perfect for the Sunday braai.

Vetkoek

250 ml (1 cup) self-raising flour

5ml salt

1 can (420g) cream-style sweetcorn

50 ml cold water

Oil for frying

Combine the self-raising flour, salt and sweetcorn in a mixing bowl. Add the water and mix to form a fairly slack batter.

Heat sufficient oil in a shallow pan. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil and fry until nicely browned on the outside and done inside. Makes 30 vetkoeks.

Designed and published by Narelle Otten, Grethe Scott, Bruce Thomas. Team 22897.