Method

Soak the tapioca for 30 minutes in the boiling water.

Bring the milk and cinnamon stick to the boil and stir in the soaked tapioca and any remaining soaking water. Reheat the mixture and boil for 5 minutes while stirring, to prevent scorching, until the tapioca is translucent and the milk has thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the sugar, salt and essence (just check that it doesn’t contain tartrazine or and caramel) into the cooked mixture. Serve the melkkos with cinnamon sugar.

This melkkos tastes best when it is freshly prepared, but it can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Freezing is not recommended.

Suggestions and variations

• Replace the tapioca with the same quantity of sago.
• Replace the milk with lactose-free milk, such as Parmalat EasyGest, then the dish is lactose free but not milk free.
• Replace the milk with soya milk, then the dish is milk and lactose free but not soya free.
• Replace the milk with coconut milk or rice milk, then the dish is milk and lactose free.

This recipe is courtesy of South African Cookbook for Allergies and Food Intolerance by Hilda Lategan, published by Tafelberg Publishers and available at good book stores for R285.