Craving a taste of Cape Malay tradition? This authentic koesister recipe brings you the perfect balance of spiced dough, deep-fried to golden perfection and drenched in a sweet, sticky syrup. Koesisters are a South African favourite, often enjoyed as a Sunday morning treat with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom, and aniseed, these syrupy delights are irresistible.
Fehmz’s go-to koesister recipe is a South African delight straight from Aunty Kubra’s kitchen. With this recipe you can indulge in the sweet nostalgia of these golden, aromatic treats.
Aunty Kubra's Koesisters
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 125 grams soft butter
- 1.5 cups boiling water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp elachi powder (cardamom)
- 1 tbsp dried ginger powder
- 1 tbsp mixed spice
- 1 tbsp dried naartjie peel, finely ground (omit if you don’t have. I made my own)
- 1 tsp aniseed, finely ground
- 2 sachets instant yeast (20 g)
- 1 egg
- 1 kg cake wheat flour
- Syrup
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 strips of dried naartjie peel
- Garnish
- Desiccated coconut
Instructions
Syrup
COMBINE everything in a pot and bring to a slow simmer.
Koesisters
ADD sugar, butter, boiling water and milk to a bowl and stir until it becomes lukewarm. Add in the spices, yeast and egg, whisk well.
ADD the flour to form a dough, then knead it until smooth and allow to rest for an hour, covered with a cloth or cling wrap, in a warm place.
ONCE the dough has risen well, punch down and roll into a long ‘sausage’ and cut into 5 cm thick pieces. Shape into balls or finger-shapes.
LEAVE to proof for 15–20 minutes.
DEEP fry in medium high heat until dark brown on the outside. Drain and cool.
CAN now be stored to syrup the next day or frozen. Prick them a little if you want the syrup to really get in. Place into the simmering syrup for about 5 minutes on each side.
REMOVE and sprinkle with coconut.
ALSO SEE: Koeksisters recipe
Feature image: Supplied
