Sosaties

1. 1Cubed meat (traditionally lamb or mutton) threaded onto skewers
2. 2A defining Cape Malay curry marinade with turmeric, coriander, and curry spice
3. 3Tamarind provides the signature sour-tangy note
4. 4Dried apricots (and often onion) skewered between the meat add sweetness
5. 5Marinated overnight before grilling, the marinade reduced into a sauce
6. 6Cooked over an open fire (braai) for smoky char

Overnight curry marination

Long steeping in the spiced tamarind marinade penetrates the meat and develops the dish's sweet-sour-spiced identity

Threading with fruit and onion

Alternating apricot and onion between meat balances richness with sweetness and tang on each skewer

Grilling over coals (braai)

Open-fire cooking adds smoky char central to South African outdoor cooking

Served

On skewers, grilled, with reduced marinade as sauce

Temperature

hot

Portion

skewers as a main

Pairs with

yellow rice · sambals · braai sides · salad

• Lamb → Pork or chickenadmissible

  Widely accepted modern variants; chicken cooks faster

• Tamarind → Lemon juice or vinegar with a touch of dateadmissible

  Approximates the sour note when tamarind is unavailable

• Curry-spiced tamarind-apricot marinade → Plain barbecue or oil-and-herb marinadeinadmissible

  Removes the Cape Malay sweet-sour-curry identity, making it an ordinary kebab

• Skipping the long marination, leaving the meat under-flavored
• Omitting tamarind and apricot, losing the sweet-sour signature
• Burning the sugary marinade over too-high heat
• Treating it as a plain barbecue skewer without the curry spicing

A Cape Malay creation from South Africa's Western Cape, rooted in the cooking of Southeast Asian peoples brought to the Cape, blending curry spices, tamarind, and fruit with the local braai tradition.

Claimed by: South Africa

1. 1.Cape Malay culinary tradition
2. 2.South African braai cookery

Confidence: high