Malva Pudding, South African Baked Dessert Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the national dessert of South Africa? ›

Sift in the self raising flour and salt, and give it a *quick beat to combine. *Be careful that you don't over-beat it as this will cause the Malva to sink slightly in the middle when baking!

Malva pudding is a sweet pudding of Cape Dutch origin. It contains apricot jam, vinegar and has a spongy caramelized texture. A cream sauce is poured over it while it is hot, and it is usually served hot with custard or ice-cream or my favourite, heavy whipped cream.

Storing: Malva pudding freezes really well so don't be afraid to pop it in an airtight container and freezing it for up to 3 months. It will also last up to 4 days in the fridge (covered).

The Malva Pudding

Possibly the most iconic South African dessert, malva pudding is served just about everywhere.

My favourite theory, and the most popular, is that Malva pudding was once flavoured with the leaves of geranium, which, in Afrikaans, translates to Malva. But some say it got its name from a woman called Malva. And others, that it was flavoured with Malvasia wine.

The ingredients for the pudding usually include flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, vinegar, and apricot jam. The pudding is baked in the oven and then soaked in a sweet syrup made from sugar, butter, and cream.

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.

Cooking and storing

After you have steamed and cooled your pudding, replace the foil with a freshly buttered piece to keep it moist and store in a cool, dark place, or the fridge, until you are ready to reheat it on Christmas day.

Common mallow yields disc-shaped seeds, or 'nutlets', that are edible and snacked on like 'cheeses'. The leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, added to thicken soups or deep-fried like green wafers.

What is typical South African food? ›

1. capitalized : a genus of Old World herbs (family Malvaceae) having palmate leaves and tribracteate flowers with naked reniform indehiscent carpels. 2. plural -s : a plant of the genus Malva see common mallow.

Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it's important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.

In South Africa, we refer to baking soda as bicarbonate of soda. Generally used as a raising agent, bicarbonate of soda can be added to batter to aerate the mix for a fluffy batter, or used in baking to help mixes to rise. When combined with an acidic agent, such as vinegar or lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda fizzes.

now pudding. I would either consume it right away or toss it. It will degrade significantly. The possibility of food poisoning rests with harmful bacteria growing overnight!

No discussion of South African desserts would be complete without Malva Pudding! This moist and spongy baked pudding always includes apricot jam and is usually served warm with a cold custard sauce. This homey, morish dessert is a beloved comfort food for many South Africans.

Bobotie is a South African dish that has Cape Malay origins. It consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Of the many dishes common to South Africa, bobotie is perhaps closest to being the national dish, because it is not commonly found in any other country.

A Gatsby is a South African submarine sandwich consisting of a bread roll filled with chips (French fries) and a choice of fillings and sauces. It originated in Cape Town and is popular throughout the Western Cape province. The sandwich is typically large and shared by several people.

The Wayfarers, a sort of Guiding for native African girls began in 1926 after a visit to the colony by Olave Baden-Powell. In 1935 there were some 600 Wayfarers and 300 Sunbeams, the African equivalent of Brownies in Guiding.