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Cape Malay Mince Frikkadel has such a satisfying combination of textures and flavors, it’s a real treat. The outside gets beautifully golden and crisp from shallow frying, giving you that delicious crunch when you bite in. But inside, it’s soft and moist, with the minced beef steak being perfectly tender thanks to the breadcrumbs and eggs holding everything together.
You’ll get bursts of freshness from the finely chopped bell peppers and coriander, which bring in a bit of sweetness and a pop of herbiness. The garlic and onions add a savory depth, while the chilli flakes sneak in just the right amount of heat, making sure the frikkadel is flavorful without being too spicy. The coriander powder gives it a warm, earthy undertone that ties all the flavors together.
Paired with a tomato and onion gravy, crispy potato chips, and fluffy rice, it’s a hearty, comforting dish that’s sure to please!
I wondered how we came to call meatballs Frikkadel, because it doesn’t seem to have any relation to any other words in either English or Afrikaans. A little research indicates that the name is similar to Frikadeller (Danish meatballs). However, it appears that Indonesians also make meat patties with slightly different ingredients called Perkedel.
In our home Cape Malay Mince Frikkadel is often served as a main course with onion and tomato smoortjie, fluffy basmati rice or thick cut chips. On other days it is served with a meatless dal curry, masala thick cut chips and basmati rice. Any leftovers are perfect for sandwiches on Homemade Farmhouse White Bread.
My father loved any meals or snacks made with minced meat. Although mince frikkadel was not my mother’s or my favorite, she often made steak mince kebabs stuffed with boiled egg (like scotch eggs) or her spaghetti and tomato frikkadel recipe for my dad because he loved it. They both loved Oumens onder die komberse (cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned minced meat cooked over caramelised onions) although my mum only made it on special request for my dad.
I always wondered why my father had such a love for food made with minced meat, and learned the origin from my Aunty Doreen. She always walked past his sister’s home, where my father was raised, when she returned home from work in the afternoons. Tietie usually called her in for a quick chat if she saw her passing.
Apparently without fail, Tietie would realise as her husband’s train was pulling into the station, that she had yet to put on the meat and onions for the evening meal if it was curry or stew. She would jump up from her seat to get dinner started and by the time her husband was home and settled, dinner would be on the table.
Needless to say, even to my child’s mind, I realised that that was not long enough to cook tender meat. Although to be honest, I can’t ever remember eating anything that Tietie made that wasn’t delicious, even though she passed when I was only a child. It was always a pleasure to be taken round to her house because she always took her time to teach me things and I loved spending time with her.
It does however explain why prior to their marriage my father seldom ate lamb or beef in stews or curries and even told my mother that he didn’t eat it. My mum said she was happy enough about that because it meant more meat for her. Until their first dinner that my mother cooked after marriage, and my dad had three helpings! She was surprised and mentioned that she thought he didn’t eat meat. My dad laughed and said but the food was so delicious and the meat so tender that he couldn’t resist.
How to make this Mince Frikkadel recipe
- Don’t use lean minced meats as this will yield meatballs that can be tough if overcooked and not very tender.
- Keep the minced meat cold so that the fat doesn’t melt before the ingredients are mixed through, shaped and ready for cooking.
- Add a binding agent like eggs and bread or breadcrumbs to ensure that the meat protein doesn’t shrink or become tough during cooking.
- If you are using stale bread, then soak it first in milk or water (and squeeze out the excess) or it may make the mixture too dry.
- Instead of adding bread, store bought bread crumbs can also be used. If using breadcrumbs remember to add eggs, milk or oil so that the mixture is not too dense. The more bread crumbs or bread you add the more dense the frikkadel will be.
- Finely chop the onions and bell peppers because big hunks of vegetables can make the frikkadel come apart during cooking.
- Instead of using salt you can use garlic salt and this also imparts a ton of flavour. Check the seasoning before shaping the mince frikkadels.
- Mince frikkadel recipes require a light touch so don’t make the balls too compact or they will be tough and rubbery when cooked. It helps to use an ice cream scoop to make the mince frikkadel all the same size and oil the hands before shaping.
- Monitor the meatballs at all times when pan frying to avoid burning.
Other recipes you may like
- Finger licking Peri Peri Garlic Butter Prawns fry
- Mouthwatering Chicken Akni recipe (chicken pulao)
- Cape Malay Pepper Steak Pie (Vleis Pastei)
- Cape Malay Chicken and mushroom pie (hoender pastei)
- Luscious Creamy Chicken Corn soup recipe
Cape Malay Mince Frikkadel recipe (Meatballs)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g minced beef steak mince is preferable
- 80 g red and green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 125 g onion, finely chopped approximately 1/2 large onion
- 15 g fresh coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped or flat parsley
- 15 ml grated garlic or garlic paste approximately 1 tablespoon
- 4 slices white bread
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 5 ml chilli flakes approximately 1 teaspoon
- 10 ml salt approximately 2 teaspoons
- 5 ml coriander powder approximately 1 teaspoon
Instructions
How to make frikkadels
- Break the bread into very small pieces or use a food processor to make fresh breadcrumbs.
- Finely chop the green pepper and onions.
- In a bowl, combine peppers, onion and mince.
- Add the chopped coriander (or parsley) and garlic and work through with your hands or a spoon.
- Add the bread pieces / breadcrumbs and the lightly beaten eggs and mix through to combine.
- Lastly add the chilli flakes, salt and coriander powder
- Using spoon or ice cream scoop, make golf ball sized meat balls and shape with your hands. Place it in a baking dish or plate until all meat balls are shaped.
- Shallow fry the frikkadels in a pan with about 2 cm of oil until golden and cooked through. This will take 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
- Serve the frikkadel with tomato and onion gravy, flat potato chips and rice.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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I love your recipes…it’s simple and easy to follow especially me not knowing how to cook.
Hi Melanie. Thanks for the kind words.
When I started the blog 6 years ago I realized that I wanted Simone and other novice cooks to be able to cook or bake something from scratch. So the instructions had to be detailed enough to follow and get the same result as when I was making it myself. Now Simone does the same for the recipes she develops, or fine tunes from her cooking mentor Katriena.