If there is anything quintessentially South African it must be vetkoek and curried mince! I challenge you to find a single South African that doesn’t like vetkoek, it is such a versatile vehicle for all kinds of toppings. Curried mince, chicken mayonnaise, golden syrup, strawberry jam…you can just about add anything to vetkoek and it will be delicious. Granted it isn’t the most healthy of food considering it is deep fried but this is the type of food you make once in a while, perhaps for a large crowd or maybe just for a lazy sunday evening supper but one thing is for certain. There will NEVER be any leftovers when you do make them.
I have developed this vetkoek and curried mince recipe to be as easy as possible. The dough is made the night before and left in the fridge to proof so there is no kneading. If you do want to use the dough straight away then by all means just do a quick 5 minute knead and then let sit in a warm place for 40 minutes.
The mince is made cape malay style with a hint of sweetness and a mild curry flavour. I add a bit of Mrs Balls Chutney to mine to amp up the flavour but you can use any type of chutney you have on hand or even just some smooth apricot jam.
I’m going to break this post into two recipes. One for the vetkoek and the other for the curried mince if you would like to make it as a filling.
PrintVetkoek and Curried Mince
(59 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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A traditional vetkoek (fried dough) recipe paired with an amazing curried mince that is sure to please everyone. Vetkoek can be paired with all kinds of fillings both savoury and sweet.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes + proofing time
- Yield: 8
- Category: Mains
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: South African
Ingredients
For the vetkoek
5 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for dusting)
10ml salt
30ml sugar
7g packet of instant yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
Oil for deep frying
For the curried mince
500g minced beef
15ml olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
5ml ground ginger
2.5ml smoked paprika
5ml black pepper
5ml ground coriander
2.5ml ground cumin
15ml mild curry powder
30ml tomato paste
30ml chutney or smooth apricot jam
1/2 cup water
1 medium potato diced
1 cup frozen diced mixed peas and carrots
Salt to taste
Instructions
For the vetkoek
Add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into a bowl
Slowly add the water whilst mixing until you have a shaggy dough
transfer to a floured surface and bring the dough together
No need to knead unless you want to use the dough immediately.
If using the dough on the same day knead briefly for 5 minutes and then cover and let proof for 40 minutes
If leaving overnight, transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let proof in the fridge overnight
When ready to make the vetkoek pre-heat your oil in a large heavy based pot to 180 degrees c (350 defrees f) divide dough into equal size pieces. I aim for a ball just under a tennis ball size flatten the ball so that when cooking it doesn’t take too long to cook the interior
Place each flattened ball into the oil and cook until golden, flip as needed until each side is golden brown.
Place on a cooling rack and allow any excess oil to drain.
Repeat the cooking process until all the dough is cooked
For the curried mince
In a medium pot heat oil on high heat
Add the mince and fry until browned (this may take a while)
Add the chopped onions and fry until soft
Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, black pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin and curry powder and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes
Add the chutney or jam and water and lower the heat to low
Add salt to taste Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
Add the potatoes, and mixed veg and mix through.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes
Curry should be thick with very little water left, if not uncover and simmer until you reach the desired consistency
To serve
Cut the vetkoek in half and fill with the slightly cooled curried mince mixture or any savoury mixture of your choice (chicken mayo, ham and cheese) For dessert spread golden syrup or jam onto the vetkoek and enjoy!
Notes
* You may find that the dough flips by itself, this is because air has been trapped inside the vetkoek. To brown you may need to hold the un-browned side down for a while to cook fully
Keywords: vetkoek and mince, vetkoek and curried mince, vetkoek, curried mince, south african food
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Your vetkoek dough recipe is the bomb.
Dit is baie lekker
Thanks Annamarie. I aimed for the easiest dough but it packs some great flavour!
This recipe is absolutely fab! I am South African living in England and have been away from home for 7 years so this really brought a lot of joy to our family to be able to taste a little bit of home with such a simple recipe! We shared this with some of our neighbours and they too enjoyed it! I even printed off this recipe so we wouldn’t loose it next time we want to make it! Absolutely incredible and would like to say thank you for this!!
Made this twice now , loved it, great recipe .Thanks
Made this today was absolutely delicious
I haven’t tried the vetkoek recipe, but the curry mince is amazing! I’ve been looking for a recipe for so long and this is by far the best I’ve found. Thank you!