Melkkos

Melkkos is a comforting milk and cinnamon dish that can be served as a light breakfast, lunch or evening meal. The name "melkkos" (which means "meal made from milk") doesn't do justice to this wonderful dish that will warm up even the most dismal of winter days.

There many ways to make melkkos.

One method reminds of making pasta: you roll stiff dough with a rolling pin, sprinkle it with flour, fold it double, sprinkle with more flour, fold it again, and slice it into thin slivers. These slivers are then cooked in cinnamon-infused milk that's enriched with butter.

Marietjie's mother's version was to simmered sago in cinnamon-infused milk.

Marietjie's own recipe, which is simple and very flavoursome, involves infusing a cinnamon stick in milk on the stove-top for a while to develop the flavour. You can use a microwave oven to speed it up, but it won't be quite as good.

Makes 3 servings.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (190 ml) flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 4 cups (1 litre) of milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Cinnamon sugar to serve

Method

  1. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour and salt.
  2. Bring the milk (with a cinnamon stick) to boil on the stove.
  3. Add the butter and flour mixture a little bit at a time while stirring.
  4. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until cooked. Stir regularly.

Serve the melkkos steaming hot in soup plates. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to taste.