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Kwai Lekr Kitchen

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Easy South African home-cooking, plus community favourites from around the world.

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Oxtail Potjie with Samp
South African

Oxtail Potjie with Samp

Fall-off-the-bone oxtail slow-cooked in red wine with carrots and butter beans, served on creamy samp. A four-hour potjie for six — glorious, but oxtail costs what it costs.

270 minAdvancedServes 6
Creamy Seafood Pasta
Seafood

Creamy Seafood Pasta

Linguine tossed with prawns, calamari and mussels in a garlicky white-wine cream. A date-night favourite that needs three kinds of seafood and a very clean kitchen afterwards.

40 minMediumServes 4
Sunday Roast Chicken
Dinner

Sunday Roast Chicken

A whole lemon-and-garlic roast chicken with crispy potatoes, roast pumpkin, green beans and proper gravy. Feeds six and owns your Sunday afternoon.

115 minMediumServes 6
Portuguese Steak Prego Roll
Lunch

Portuguese Steak Prego Roll

Garlic-and-wine marinated steak in a crusty Portuguese roll with peri-peri and rocket, chips on the side. Quick — once the shopping is done.

30 minEasyServes 4
Beef Lasagne
Italian

Beef Lasagne

Layers of slow-cooked beef ragù, white sauce and cheese, baked until bubbling. Feeds six and takes the better part of two hours.

90 minMediumServes 6
Flame-Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken
Dinner

Flame-Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken

Spatchcocked chickens marinated overnight in peri-peri, flame-grilled and served with chips and slaw. Two chickens feed four, and the coals do the talking.

65 minMediumServes 4
Full Farmhouse Breakfast
Breakfast

Full Farmhouse Breakfast

Eggs, bacon, pork sausages, grilled tomato, mushrooms and buttered toast for four. Cheaper at home per plate — but somebody washes five pans.

30 minEasyServes 4
Chicken Caesar Salad
Lunch

Chicken Caesar Salad

Griddled chicken over crisp cos lettuce with parmesan, homemade croutons and a proper anchovy dressing. A light meal that still uses three pans.

30 minEasyServes 4
Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel & Chips
Dinner

Crumbed Chicken Schnitzel & Chips

Golden, crunchy chicken schnitzel with a creamy mushroom sauce and crispy chips — the restaurant classic that always looks easier on the menu than it is at the stove.

45 minEasyServes 4
Grilled Lamb Loin Chops
Dinner

Grilled Lamb Loin Chops

Rosemary-and-garlic lamb loin chops with crispy baby potatoes and green beans. Simple, but good lamb is never cheap at the till.

40 minEasyServes 4
Classic Hake & Chips
Seafood

Classic Hake & Chips

Crispy soda-water battered hake with proper chips, tartare and a lemon wedge. The takeaway favourite, done the honest way at home.

40 minEasyServes 4
Eisbein with Sauerkraut & Mash
Dinner

Eisbein with Sauerkraut & Mash

Crackling-skinned pork knuckle, slow-simmered then roasted, with sauerkraut, buttery mash and mustard. A two-and-a-half-hour project for two hungry people.

165 minMediumServes 2
Lemon & Herb Grilled Chicken
Dinner

Lemon & Herb Grilled Chicken

Marinated grilled chicken breast with herby rice and a garden salad. Light, quick and one of the cheaper dinners to make at home.

35 minEasyServes 4
Sticky Braai Pork Ribs
Dinner

Sticky Braai Pork Ribs

Slow-baked then flame-finished pork ribs in a sticky homemade basting, with chips and slaw. Worth it — but it takes an afternoon.

105 minMediumServes 4
Grilled Calamari & Chips
Seafood

Grilled Calamari & Chips

Tender grilled calamari in lemon-garlic butter with chips and tartare. Fast to cook, but calamari is one of those things that is easy to get wrong.

30 minEasyServes 4
Butter Chicken with Naan
Asian

Butter Chicken with Naan

Yoghurt-marinated chicken thighs in a silky tomato-butter-cream sauce with basmati and naan. The curry everyone orders — and a long ingredient list at home.

65 minMediumServes 4
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Italian

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Penne with roasted courgette, peppers, cherry tomatoes and red onion, finished with feta and basil. Vegetarian, colourful and light on the wallet.

50 minEasyServes 4
Sticky Crispy Chicken Wings
Dinner

Sticky Crispy Chicken Wings

Oven-crisped wings tossed in a honey-hot-sauce glaze, with blue cheese dip and celery. Great for the game — messy for the kitchen.

55 minEasyServes 4
Smoked Snoek Pâté with Fynbos & African Dry Gin
South African

Smoked Snoek Pâté with Fynbos & African Dry Gin

A False Bay classic — smoked snoek whipped with cream cheese, lemon and a splash of Cape Craft Lab African Dry Gin, served with toasted sourdough.

20 minEasyServes 6
Gin-Cured Trout with Buchu Cream
South African

Gin-Cured Trout with Buchu Cream

Trout cured overnight in salt, sugar and Cape Craft Lab African Dry Gin, sliced thin and served with a buchu-and-lemon crème fraîche.

30 minMediumServes 6
Mampoer Glazed Pork Belly with Roast Peaches
South African

Mampoer Glazed Pork Belly with Roast Peaches

Sticky peach mampoer glaze on crisp pork belly — a proper highveld distillery pairing.

155 minMediumServes 4
IPA Chilli Cheese Burger
Dinner

IPA Chilli Cheese Burger

A double smash burger with jalapeños and IPA-caramelised onions — brewed hops cut straight through the heat.

45 minEasyServes 4
Smoked Brisket Sarmie with Rauchbier Onions
South African

Smoked Brisket Sarmie with Rauchbier Onions

Slow-smoked brisket piled onto ciabatta with onions braised in smoked beer — built for Drayman's Jolly Monk Rauchbier.

390 minMediumServes 4
Weissbier Battered Hake with Lemon
Dinner

Weissbier Battered Hake with Lemon

Light, shattering wheat-beer batter around fresh hake — the classic partner for Altstadt Weissbier.

30 minEasyServes 4
Wood-Fired Cape Style Pizza
Italian

Wood-Fired Cape Style Pizza

Blistered, smoky base straight off the coals or a screaming hot oven — a Cape take on the classic, built for a glass of Shiraz.

85 minMediumServes 4
Gourmet Beef & Caramelised Onion Burger
Dinner

Gourmet Beef & Caramelised Onion Burger

A proper hand-pressed beef patty, slow caramelised onions and melted cheddar on a toasted brioche — big enough to stand up to a Cab.

50 minEasyServes 4
SA Cheese & Charcuterie Board
South African

SA Cheese & Charcuterie Board

Farmhouse cheeses, biltong, droëwors and preserved figs on one board — the easiest, most generous way to open a bottle.

15 minEasyServes 6
Wild Mushroom & Thyme Chicken
Dinner

Wild Mushroom & Thyme Chicken

Pan-roasted chicken thighs with brown mushrooms, thyme and a splash of cream — the everyday supper that finally gives Pinot Noir something to do.

55 minEasyServes 4
Ribeye with Red Wine & Peppercorn Sauce
Dinner

Ribeye with Red Wine & Peppercorn Sauce

A properly rested ribeye with a glossy red wine and green peppercorn sauce and crisp roast baby potatoes — the plate that Stellenbosch Cabernet was made for.

60 minMediumServes 2
Grilled Salmon & Citrus Salad
Seafood

Grilled Salmon & Citrus Salad

Flame-grilled salmon with naartjie, grapefruit and rocket — a light Cape summer plate built for a chilled South African rosé.

25 minEasyServes 4
West Coast Mussels in White Wine & Cream
Seafood

West Coast Mussels in White Wine & Cream

A bowl of black mussels steamed open in white wine, garlic and cream, with bread for the sauce — the Cape West Coast starter that begs for Cap Classique.

35 minMediumServes 4
Gebraaide Beeslewer
Dinner

Gebraaide Beeslewer

Gebraaide Beeslewer met Uie en Romerige Kapokaartappels.

45 minEasyServes 4
Hearty Chicken Soup
Dinner

Hearty Chicken Soup

Freezing outside, comfort food inside. An easy winter chicken soup packed with carrots, celery, ginger and fresh herbs — serve piping hot with a slice of your favourite bread.

60 minEasyServes 6
Lamskenkels — Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
South African

Lamskenkels — Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

Sagte, geurige lamskenkels wat afval van die been – perfeksie op 'n bord! Tender, fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks packed with flavour – comfort food at its best.

200 minEasyServes 6
Pesto Pasta
Italian

Pesto Pasta

Fresh basil pesto tossed through penne with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan.

22 minEasyServes 4
Lemon Garlic Pasta
Italian

Lemon Garlic Pasta

Bright, quick linguine with lemon zest, garlic and a little chilli heat.

17 minEasyServes 4
Arrabbiata Pasta
Italian

Arrabbiata Pasta

Fiery garlic and chilli tomato sauce clinging to penne, finished with basil.

25 minEasyServes 4
Carbonara
Italian

Carbonara

The classic Roman pasta - eggs, Parmesan, pancetta and black pepper, no cream.

25 minMediumServes 4
Creamy Alfredo Pasta
Italian

Creamy Alfredo Pasta

Silky fettuccine in a rich butter, garlic and Parmesan cream sauce.

25 minEasyServes 4
Spaghetti Bolognese
Italian

Spaghetti Bolognese

Slow-simmered beef and tomato ragu over spaghetti with plenty of Parmesan.

45 minEasyServes 4
Malvapoeding met Vla (Malva Pudding with Custard)
South African

Malvapoeding met Vla (Malva Pudding with Custard)

Nagereg: the classic sticky apricot malva pudding drenched in cream sauce and served warm with vla.

65 minEasyServes 8
Knoffelbrood (Garlic Bread - Braai or Oond)
South African

Knoffelbrood (Garlic Bread - Braai or Oond)

Byvoeging: buttery garlic bread done on the braai or in the oven, crisp outside and soft inside.

25 minEasyServes 8
Botterige Braaimielies met Paprika (Buttery Braai Corn with Paprika)
South African

Botterige Braaimielies met Paprika (Buttery Braai Corn with Paprika)

Bygereg 2: sweetcorn braaied over the coals, rolled in paprika butter.

30 minEasyServes 6
Romige Aartappelslaai met Mosterd (Creamy Potato Salad with Mustard)
South African

Romige Aartappelslaai met Mosterd (Creamy Potato Salad with Mustard)

Bygereg 1: creamy South African potato salad with a mustard kick - the braai table classic.

35 minEasyServes 8
Vars Groenslaai met Fetakaas (Fresh Garden Salad with Feta)
South African

Vars Groenslaai met Fetakaas (Fresh Garden Salad with Feta)

Bygereg 3: crisp lettuce, tomato, cucumber and creamy feta with a simple lemon dressing.

10 minEasyServes 6
Tuisgemaakte Braai Sous (Homemade Braai Sauce)
South African

Tuisgemaakte Braai Sous (Homemade Braai Sauce)

Sous: a sticky, smoky homemade braai basting sauce for wors, steak and chicken.

30 minEasyServes 12
Steak Marinade (Vir die Vleis)
South African

Steak Marinade (Vir die Vleis)

Vir die vleis: the flyer marinade - olive oil, soy, garlic, Worcestershire and brown sugar. Marinate about 2 hours for the best flavour.

10 minEasyServes 4
Braai Vrydag Mixed Grill (Steak, Boerewors & Lemon Herb Chicken)
South African

Braai Vrydag Mixed Grill (Steak, Boerewors & Lemon Herb Chicken)

The Friday braai hoofgereg: grilled steak, coiled boerewors and lemon-and-herb chicken over medium coals. Geroosterde steak, boerewors en lemoen-en-kruie hoender.

50 minMediumServes 6
Malvalekker Peppermint Crisp Tert
South African

Malvalekker Peppermint Crisp Tert

Puur Suid-Afrikaans: 'n romerige malvalekker-en-Peppermint Crisp tert op 'n Tennisbeskuitjie-kors. No-bake, boerekos-lekker en altyd die eerste ding wat opraak.

25 minEasyServes 12
Thursday Bamboo Steamer Fish
Dinner

Thursday Bamboo Steamer Fish

Light, clean and ready in 25 minutes — hake steamed over cabbage with ginger, chilli, garlic and a sizzling soy-sesame dressing. The perfect midweek Kwai Lekr supper.

25 minEasyServes 4
Kwai Lekr Crunchies (South African Oat Biscuits)
Baking

Kwai Lekr Crunchies (South African Oat Biscuits)

A Kwai Lekr favourite — buttery golden-syrup oat and coconut squares baked till golden, cut warm and cooled crisp. Proper South African tea-time crunchies.

40 minEasyServes 16
Melktert
South African

Melktert

Silky milk tart with a cinnamon dusting — the pudding every ouma makes.

40 minMediumServes 8
Pap & Wors
South African

Pap & Wors

Stiff maize porridge with grilled boerewors and tomato relish — Sunday staple.

45 minEasyServes 4
Syrupy Koeksisters
South African

Syrupy Koeksisters

Plaited fried dough dunked in ice-cold syrup — crunchy outside, syrup-soaked inside.

120 minMediumServes 24
Cape Malay Chicken Curry
Asian

Cape Malay Chicken Curry

Fragrant, gently spiced chicken curry with potato — mild enough for the whole family.

65 minEasyServes 4
Malva Pudding
South African▶ Video

Malva Pudding

Sticky apricot sponge drenched in hot cream sauce — a South African classic.

45 minEasyServes 6
Quick Chakalaka
South African

Quick Chakalaka

Spicy tomato-and-bean relish that goes with pap, braai or bread.

25 minEasyServes 4
Quick Chow Mein
Asian

Quick Chow Mein

Weeknight noodles with veg and a glossy soy sauce — ready in under 20 minutes.

20 minEasyServes 3
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Italian▶ Video

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Just garlic, chilli, olive oil and pasta — the fastest good dinner you can make.

17 minEasyServes 4
Creamy Tomato Penne
Italian

Creamy Tomato Penne

Silky tomato-cream sauce over penne — kid-approved comfort in 25 minutes.

25 minEasyServes 4
Boerewors Rolls
South African

Boerewors Rolls

The classic South African braai roll — juicy wors in a soft roll with tangy tomato-onion relish.

30 minEasyServes 6
Vetkoek (Fat Cakes)
South African

Vetkoek (Fat Cakes)

Golden fried dough pockets — split and stuff with curry mince or jam.

75 minEasyServes 12
Classic Bobotie
South African▶ Video

Classic Bobotie

Cape Malay-spiced mince baked under a golden egg custard — comfort food at its finest.

60 minMediumServes 6
Simple White Loaf
Baking▶ Video

Simple White Loaf

A soft, no-fuss white bread loaf — great for sandwiches and toast.

105 minEasyServes 10

About Kwai Lekr Recipes

South African recipes made for real kitchens

These are kitchen recipes, not restaurant plating exercises. Ingredients you can buy at your local Spar or Checkers, quantities that feed a family of six, and instructions written the way an ouma would tell you: brown the meat properly, do not rush the onions, and let it stand before serving.

You will find slow-cooked lamskenkels, potjiekos, braai marinades and basting sauces, baked puddings, pot bread and everyday weeknight meals. Where a recipe comes from an Afrikaans household, we keep the Afrikaans alongside the English translation.

Cooking for a braai or a crowd

Planning around a braai is mostly about timing. Anything slow-cooked — shanks, oxtail, potjie — is better made the day before, cooled overnight and gently reheated, because the flavour deepens and you free up the fire for the meat. Salads and sides can be prepped in the morning and dressed at the last minute.

For quantities, budget roughly 350g of meat per adult when there are two or more sides, and add a starch that holds well off the heat like pot bread, mieliepap or a baked rice dish.

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Every recipe can be rated and reviewed, so the ones that actually work rise to the top. Sign in to save favourites, and check the weekly selection for what is in season and affordable right now.

Have a family recipe worth sharing? Send it through and we will publish it with credit — bilingual submissions are especially welcome.