The Ultimate Sosatie Recipe for Braai Day

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Tomorrow millions of South Africans will celebrate their heritage with a braai. If you haven’t shorted out the braai menu for the big event, then you’ve come to the right place.

Sosaties are not just any old kebabs. They might be meat on skewers, but these traditional South African braai treats are marinated in a distinctive aromatic Malay-style sauce. Absolutely meant for grilling — but do not let it dry out! Five minutes, then switch the grid, and 5 minutes more over fairly hot coals should do it.

This classic sosatie recipe is the only one you’ll ever need.

Ingredients

  • 50 ml olive or cooking oil
  • 2 large onions, both sliced into broad rings
  • One green pepper cut into approx. 2.5 cm squares
  • 3 tbsp of smooth apricot jam
  • 15 ml wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 crushed bay leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp curry powder (mild korma to hot madras – the choice is yours)
  • 500 g boned leg of mutton or chicken, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
  • 125 g dried apricots

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion rings and green pepper blocks until very lightly cooked, making sure the onion rings remain intact. Drain them on absorbent paper.
  2. Combine the apricot jam, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder in a ceramic or glass bowl and add the onion rings and green pepper.
  3. Add the meat to the mixture and marinate for 24 hours in the fridge, stirring two or three times.
  4. If the apricots are not soft, soak them in a little water until plump. You might also want to soak the skewers so that the exposed ends do not burn to charcoal during the cooking process.
  5. When you are ready to cook, thread the cubes of meat, apricots, onion rings and peppers onto the skewers. Your barbecue’s temperature should be 375 degrees or a medium heat.  The recommended cooking time is 6 minutes per side with a half turn at three minutes.
  6. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring to a boil and keep warm to serve with the sosaties.