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Text and recipe from My Cape Malay Kitchen by Cariema Isaacs, published by Struik lifestyle, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa.
If I was to choose ‘something sweet’ that signifies my Bo-Kaap heritage, it has to be a traditional Cape Malay koesiester. I remember many a Sunday morning, getting up early to go and buy koesisters in Schotcheskloof, Bo-Kaap. There I was, along with so many other boys and girls, walking with our empty bowls that would soon be filled with the most deliciously warm and fragrant koesisters. The Aunties who made the koesisters made them with love! You could just taste it in every bite. These days, my mom-in-law has become our resident koesiester maker and has dutifully taught me how to make my own. The aromas that linger in the kitchen when these little doughy wonders are frying will transport anyone back to a time where our Sunday mornings began with love and comfort in the form of a warm, coconut-covered koesister and a refreshing cup of tea.
3 C (750 ml) milk
60 g butter
2 eggs
½ C (125 ml) sugar
6 C (6 x 250 ml) cake flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1 x 10 g packet of instant yeast
1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground cinnamon
2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cardamom
4 tsp (20 ml) whole aniseed seeds
1 C (250 ml) self-raising flour for dusting the surface and keeping hands dry, which assists with shaping the oblong balls
* 1 Tbs (15 ml) dried, ground naartjie peel
2 C (500 ml) oil for deep-frying
medium-sized pot or a wok
1 chopstick to flip the koesisters
2 C (500 ml) sugar
2 C (500 ml) water
1 C (250 ml) desiccated coconut for sprinkling
1. Warm the milk and butter together and then set aside. The milk should not be boiling hot, just warmed through.
2. In a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together at high speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast and all the spices. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
5. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been greased with oil or butter. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise and double in size in a warm area in your kitchen/home.
6. Once the dough has risen, moisten your hands with oil and coat the working surface and your hands with the self-raising flour so you can work with the sticky dough.
7. Using your hands, shape the dough into a long log shape about 5 cm high. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 cm-wide portions of the dough – this is essentially your doughnut (unshaped) at this stage of the process.
Note: You need to keep your hands moist to shape the cut pieces of dough into oval-shaped koesisters.
8. Take each cut portion and roll it into an oval-shaped ball. Stretch it gently until it is 5–6 cm long and 3 cm wide, and place it on a well-floured surface. These little puffy pillows should rest for about 30 minutes, and they will puff up again before frying.
1. Avoid overcrowding when frying the koesisters because they need space in between to accommodate further rising when they come into contact with the warm oil.
2. Gently place the koesisters one by one into the warm oil and deep-fry for about 3 minutes on each side.
3. Remove the fried koesisters with a slotted spoon and allow them to rest on a paper towel.
1. Place the sugar and 1 C (250 ml) of the water in a medium-sized pot and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir frequently.
2. Turn the heat down to a medium setting and stir until the sugar syrup becomes slightly sticky. Gradually add the remaining 1 C (250 ml) water to stop the sugar from crystallising.
3. Place the koesisters in the syrup for 1–2 minutes, ensuring they are well coated. Remove with a fork.
4. Give the koesisters a generous dusting with coconut and serve hot.
Koesisters freeze really well and can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.
This recipe might seem really sticky; this is why it’s important to divide the self-raising flour into two parts. Use ½ C (125 ml) self-raising flour to coat your hands and knead the risen dough to form one long log, almost resembling a French loaf. Use the remaining flour to generously cover the work surface where you will rest the oval-shaped koesister dough balls once shaped.
Ensure you have enough working space because you will need a well-floured surface to shape your Koesisters and another floured surface to rest upon.
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