Traditional Food

Potjie Kos

In South Africa there are a few traditions , braai vleis( barbecue) , while watching the Springboks playing rugby , and potjie kos .
Potjie kos means "pot food" and there are many varieties , every cook has his own favourite recipe and is normally cooked by the cook holding a ladle in one hand and a castle beer in the other and cheering the springboks on to win .

Contents at a glance

Method and ingredients

Krummel Pap 

Pot Bread

Koek Sisters

It can be cooked in a normal flat bottom pot inside on the stove, but traditonal in a three leg round belly cast iron pot, out side over coals, or on a home made grid as in the picture below. It has round holes in the grid to allow the pot to sit in it. At the same time meat can be braaied " grilled " as well.

Ingredients

2.5 kg oxtail

A few baby onions

10 baby potatoes

3 chopped carrots or baby carrots

small pack button mushrooms

30 ml olive oil

salt pepper and seasoning to taste

crushed cloves

Method

A bit of oil is poured into the pot and then the meat is put in and fried a bit to get gravy then water is added and allowed to simmer until soft . Then the veggies and seasoning is added and allowed to simmer until tender .
As I mentioned earlier there are many varieties , different meat and different veggies . My favourite is oxtail for the meat and for the veggies, button mushrooms, small onions, baby potatoes, baby carrots , baby marrows , etc etc .
Adding dumplings on top is also delicious .

With the potjie kos is served either rice or pap ( stiff porridge ) , pot bread and a salad .

The pap is made from mealie meal and unlike porridge less water is used resulting in a stiffer mixture. Interesting to know is that many people in the cape area do not eat mealie meal pap or porridge .
There is another version of this porridge , made by the Sotho people and they call it Putu , and the white folk named it krummel pap , (crumbly porridge) .
The method to make this is to bring the water and a pinch of salt in a pot to boil and then add mealie meal in a mound in the water without stirring , something like a volcano in the water , three holes are pushed through it to the bottom to allow the water to boil through .
It is allowed to boil on low heat until the dry mealie meal is cooked , then a three prong fork is pushed in underneath this mound and is continually lifted , not stirred until loose pieces are formed similar to rice but in bigger chunks .

My favourite gravy with this is minced ox liver , onions , tomatoes and seasoning.

A Greek salad is a must, below is a easy recipe, credit to (http://www.taste.com.au)

• 200g piece reduced-fat feta cheese
• 3 medium Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, thickly sliced
• 4 medium roma tomatoes, halved, cut into wedges
• 1 cup (160g) pitted kalamata olives
• 1 medium red onion, halved, thinly sliced

Vinegar dressing

• 2 tablespoons Jingilli extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

Method

1. Cut feta into cubes. Place in a large bowl with cucumber, tomato, olives and onion.
2. 
   
   Make dressing Place oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar and oregano in a screw-top jar. Secure lid. Shake to combine.
3. Add dressing to salad. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve.

Koeksisters

After the Potjie kos has been eaten something sweet may be required to finish off the meal . Koek sisters are for the sweet tooth .My mother used to make this recipe , and they can be eaten when having tea or just as a sweet snack .
Image credit http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koeksisters.jpg

• Serves: 14 pieces
 
• Prep Time: Syrup 10 minutes +cooling time
 
• Total Time: dough +- 1 hour +cooling time

Ingredients

• SYRUP
• 500 ml water
• 1 kg sugar
• 2 ml cream of tarter
• small piece fresh ginger
• pinch of salt
• half a lemon juice
• DOUGH
• 240 g flour
• 3 ml salt
• 25 ml butter
• 20 ml baking powder
• 150 ml buttermilk
• 750 ml cooking oil to deep fry the koeksisters

Instructions

1. The syrup must be made first because it must cool down in the refrigerator .
2. Place all the ingredients in a pot and boil and stir until the sugar has melted boil for another 6 minutes and place in the refrigerator to cool down.
3. To make the dough sift the flower baking powder and salt together into a mixing bowl . add the butter mix , and add the buttermilk and kneed until a soft dough is formed . place in the refrigerator for a few minutes
4. roll out the dough until a thickness of 5 cm to 7 cm .Cut the dough into rectangular blocks 8x5 cm. Cut each block starting about 20 mm from the top into 3 strips . Plait the 3 strips.
5. Heat up the oil and place the koeksisters in it and fry slowly until golden brown . remove and place on paper to allow excess oil to run off and then dip into the cold syrup and remove and place on a tray.
6. when they have cooled down they are ready to be eaten
7. Note I have not given a exact prep time because the syrup must be made first and be left to cool down , preferably overnight.