Name: Vetkoek with Mince
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Botswana, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 500 g bread flour; 7 g instant yeast, 1 sachet; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 300 ml warm water; 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep frying; 500 g beef mince; 1 whole onion, finely diced

Vetkoek with Mince

Golden deep-fried bread rolls with a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior, split open and filled with savory spiced mince â€” a beloved Southern African street food.

Country

Botswana

Region

Southern Africa

Time

115 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Known as magwinya in Botswana and vetkoek in South Africa, these deep-fried dough balls are one of the most popular street foods across Southern Africa. Vendors selling freshly fried magwinya can be found at bus stations, markets, and school gates. They can be filled with savory mince, jam, cheese, or simply eaten plain with butter.

What the dish tastes like

Golden deep-fried bread rolls with a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior, split open and filled with savory spiced mince â€” a beloved Southern African street food.

When to cook it

Best for Street food or snack, with a medium cooking level and about 115 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Atchar (pickle) and chilli sauce

Follow the collection route

Street Food is the main AfroKitchen collection route tied to this dish right now. Street Food

Make the dough

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water gradually, mixing to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.

The dough should be softer than bread dough â€” slightly sticky is perfect.

Knead dough 08:00

Let dough rise

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Rise dough 60:00

Prepare the filling

While the dough rises, brown the mince with diced onion in a pan over medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of curry powder. Cook until done, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cook mince 10:00

Shape the vetkoek

Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Rest dough 10:00

Deep fry

Heat oil to 170Â°C in a deep pot. Carefully lower 2-3 dough balls at a time into the oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Do not let the oil get too hot or the outside will burn before the inside cooks through.

Fry vetkoek 07:00

Fill and serve

Slice each vetkoek open along one side. Spoon in the warm mince filling. Serve immediately with chilli sauce or atchar on the side.

For a sweet version, fill with apricot jam or syrup instead of mince.

Vetkoek with Mince

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Step-by-step instructions

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