Kumbatia San

This recipe started as a family project — helping my uncle with his daughter’s Heritage Day presentation.
She wanted to bring something that represented who we are, something warm, fragrant, and recognisably South African. The Cape Malay koesister felt like the perfect choice.

What began as a simple Heritage Day task turned into a small moment of discovery — reminding us how deeply food carries memory. The scent of sweet potato, aniseed, cardamom, and citrus zest filled the kitchen like an old song.

It was nostalgic — growing up, it was my mom and my brother’s favourite. Almost twice a week we’d have koeksisters and koesisters. We’d stop on the side of the road and buy them from the tannies, still warm and sticking to the inside of those thin plastic bags. Admittedly (I can only speak for the Gauteng province though), street vendors are becoming fewer. I miss them — I suppose we have crime to thank for that.

Later, I decided to reimagine the same recipe with a pistachio cream filling — keeping the soul of the koesister intact but layering in something smooth, unexpected, and celebratory. Because sometimes, honouring heritage also means allowing it to evolve.

We’ll be featuring this dessert at a food festival in Cape Town this November, and the full episode is now live on YouTube.

Let’s reimagine South African classics together — one dish, one story, one plate at a time.

The Pinotage Leg of Lamb episode is also available now on YouTube — a slow-braised, deeply comforting dish that celebrates the same spirit of South African heritage.

Cape Malay Koesisters Recipe:

Batter Ingredients:

1–2 large sweet potatoes
65 g butter
125 ml lukewarm water (½ cup)
1 egg
500 g cake flour
5 ml baking powder
10 g instant yeast
7.5 ml salt (½ tsp)
50 g sugar
7.5 ml cardamom
7.5 ml cinnamon
7.5 ml aniseed
7.5 ml mixed spice
7.5 ml citrus zest
Oil, for frying

Syrup:

150 ml sugar
100 ml water
100 ml milk
5 ml butter
10 ml lemon juice

Method:

Boil, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes until smooth.

In a bowl, mix the mashed sweet potato, butter, egg, lukewarm water, and yeast.

Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and spices. Mix to form a soft dough.

Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.

Shape into small ovals and fry in medium-hot oil until golden brown.

Dip the koesisters immediately into warm syrup, then roll in desiccated coconut.

Optional Pistachio Cream Filling
Blend 200 ml pastry cream with 2 tablespoons of pistachio paste or finely crushed pistachios.
Pipe into cooled koesisters and top with chopped pistachios.

Serve warm — sweet, sticky, and beautifully nostalgic.