Cooking with Chef Petrus|Vetkoek and Curried Mince

As we celebrate South African Heritage Day this week, I thought I’d give you a recipe for a little taste of home. Maybe vetkoek oozing with curried mince is not the healthiest of meals, but when you start tucking into these delicious dough balls, you can’t help wanting more. Vetkoek was a real treat for me as a kid, a comforting reminder of happy times at home. They are not difficult to make, so go on, have a go!

Ingredients

Vetkoek

400g plain white flour

230 ml luke warm water

1 tsp salt

7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

Vegetable oil for frying

Curried Mince

2 tbps olive oil

500g lean beef mince

1 tsp ginger powder

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 stick cinnamon

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 cup beef stock

2 tsp corn flour (optional)

A handful chopped coriander

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Vetkoek

1. Add the flour, salt and yeast into a large bowl, mix well then pour in the water. Use your hands to combine the ingredients into a sticky dough.
2. Flour your work surface generously, then turn out the dough and knead lightly.
3. Knead in some of the flour from the work surface, and add a little more if the dough is sticky.Keep kneading until it no longer sticks to the board.

4. Put the dough into a floured bowl and set aside, covered with oiled cling film, for about an hour until it has risen to double its size. (An Ideal time to prepare your curried mince).
5. Knock back the dough by kneading for a couple more minutes, then divide it into golf ball size round pieces.
6. Heat 4 cm deep of oil in a sauce pan, to about 200°
7. Fry the balls of dough five at a time until golden brown, and remove with a slotted spoon

Curried Mince

1. In a large pot, add the oil and fry the mince in batches until browned. Drain off the fat & set aside.
2. In the same pot, add a little more oil & the powdered spices, heat gently for a couple of minutes. Add in the onion, garlic, carrot and celery & fry until the onions are translucent.
3. Stir in the tomato paste.
4. Add the mince back to the pot and stir to combine the ingredients.
5. Pour in the beef stock and add the cinnamon stick. Add seasoning.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes, covered, then 15 mins with the lid off.
7. If the sauce seems a little too thin, allow to bubble for a few minutes longer with the lid off until it’s reduced, or mix 2 tsp cornflour with some cold water and add that to the sauce to thicken.
8. Just before serving, stir through the chopped coriander. Check the seasoning & add a little more if required.

Cut the vetkoeks in half and serve filled with the curried mince.