Another suggestion by my Joburg friend Claudine, koeksisters are a South African doughnut coated in a sticky syrup that tastes almost honey-like (due to the lemon juice). When I asked C and her partner about SA recipes, this was near the top of the list - they had me at deep fried.
Speaking of deep fried, I never cease to be amazed at how little damage someone like me manages around a big wok full of hot oil. I mean last week I splashed some hot fat on my eyelash, but considering my track record in the kitchen that's not much to cause worry. Okay, so almost everything I own has a grease stain but whatever.
If anyone can work out how both my kitchen and bedroom (!!!) doors get coated in food, I'll mail you some cake. It'll come flat packed like an Ikea desk.
Vegan Koeksisters
- Directions/Method
- First make the syrup by adding all of the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan and bringing to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. This should only take a few minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight until very cold.
- To make the dough sift the flour, salt, baking powder, corn flour, and nutmeg (if using) together into a large bowl. Add the margarine in small chunks and mix into the flour lightly with your fingers, until it looks like crumbs and there are no big chunks of margarine left floating around.
- Add the non dairy milk and stir with a wooden spoon to bring the flour and liquid together. Switch to using your hands and knead the dough for a few minutes, or until smooth and stretchy (you can add a splash more milk if need be). Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for an hour or two.
- Heat a few inches of vegetable oil to 180 degrees C.
- Roll the dough out to just under ¼ inch in thickness and cut into approximate ½ inch x 4 inch pieces. Take three strips and pinch them together at one end, braiding the strands together and pinching to seal at the other end. You can make the koeksisters longer if so desired.
- Careful not to overcrowd whatever you're using to deep fry in, place some of the koeksisters in the hot oil and fry until golden (2-3 minutes approximately). Remove from the oil with tongs or a slatted spoon and immediately plunge into the cold syrup and then place in a large 9 x13 inch dish. Continue until all the doughnuts are cooked and pour the remaining syrup over top.
- Refrigerate and serve cold or at room temperature. Either way the koeksisters are best if they've been left in the syrup for awhile.
Claudine Cook says
Kippy, I cannot believe you actually made these. The most yummiest treats in the world, ever.
Mandee says
Wow, they look amazingly good! I don't know if I could de-gluten these but I really want to try!
Kip says
Claudine (the SA friend) is GF too sadly, but these are one of her favourite treats from back home. If you do work out a way to make them GF then pleeeaaassee let me know!
Caytemae says
when you say corn flour, do you mean what we in the U.S. call corn starch? I ask because I have followed other SA recipes and have found that to be the case. Â
Kip says
Yup, same thing!
SA Vegan says
I'm South African, so Yay at seeing one of our "national sticky treats" on your website - and I'm vegan, so Yay at seeing them veganised!
There is another deep-fried doughnut called the "Koesiesta", which is also deep-fried and dipped in syrup, but uses different spices and ends up as puffy lumps covered in fine coconut. They are seriously addictive: you have to make at least 30 at a time - more if you plan to share with anyone.
We also love (well, I do, as well as everyone I've ever met) pumpkin fritters.
If your friend Claudine has the recipes for these, and the methods to veganise them, I am sure that your readers would love them too.
On another note, your photographs are really good! Very appetising.
Kip says
More stuff to try, thanks! I was really happy about all of the SA stuff I tried when Claudine made the suggestions. It's all very comfort food-y, and that's always a winner in my books.
Thanks for complimenting the photos and recipe. It means a lot!
I reserve the right to improve malicious and trollish comments.