Madikwe Safari Lodge - Vetkoek with Curry Mince Filling (Vegetarian Option too)

Before setting off on the afternoon game drive, Madikwe Safari Lodge packs out a spread of scrumptious treats including freshly prepared vetkoek. The key to this dish is the curry filling, either meat, chicken or vegetarian. The more curry spice you add the hotter the filling will be so take it easy if you're not keen on a hot vetkoek filling!

Vetkoek
Ingredients
6¾ cups Flour (all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons Salt
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 packet Yeast
Lukewarm water
Cooking oil (for frying)

How to make the dough
Mix sugar and yeast with some lukewarm water and leave to foam.
Sift flour and salt.
Pour yeast in flour and knead.
Keep adding water and knead until you have a consistency like a bread dough.
Leave the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with a cloth.
Leave the dough to rise for about 45 – 60 minutes until it is about double its original size.

How to make the vetkoek
Pour the cooking oil into a frying pan to have about 3 or 4 cm of oil in the pan. Heat the oil to about 200°C.
Divide the dough into balls about the size of a tennis ball.
Flatten the dough until it is about 3 centimetres thick and about the size of your palm.
Place two or three pieces of the flattened dough at a time into the oil. Fry each side until golden brown.

Beef Filling for Vetkoek
1 onion, chopped
1tsp chopped garlic
1tsp chopped ginger
1 leek, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
500g lean beef mince
2tbsp curry powder
2tbsp cumin
2tbsp tumeric
2tbsp coriander
1tsp ground cloves
1 cup chutney
1tbsp oil
salt and pepper

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Fry all the vegetables until translucent. Add the spices and allow the aromas to develop. Keep stirring and be careful not to let the vegetables stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the beef and allow to brown. Season with salt and pepper and allow the mince to cook through. Just before serving, mix in the chutney to create a sweet and spicy flavour to your mince.

Now, cut open your vetkoek and stuff with mince - best serve warm!

Vegetarian Filling
4 potatoes, chopped, cooked
salt
2tbsp oil
2tbsp chickpeas (cooked)
2tbsp rough chopped cashews
1tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1tsp garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2tbsp curry powder
2tbsp cumin
2tbsp tumeric
2tbsp coriander
1tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup cooked peas

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Fry onion until translucent and add the garlic, ginger, chickpeas and cashews. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the spices. Cook for 1 minute before adding the potatoes and peas. Season with salt and pepper.