Kakas (ring-shaped biscuits; makes 48)
Ring-shaped pastries called kaak were introduced by Iraqis to India in the 19th century. Somewhere along the way, ‘kaak’ morphed into ‘kaka’ (pronounced ‘kah-kah’).
The trick to making these biscuits is to bake them until they’re golden; kakas should be light and a little crunchy. It takes time and some patience to roll the dough and form it into rings, but once you get the hang of it, rolling and shaping the dough can be quite soothing.
My favourite way to eat kakas is to dunk them into a cup of tea, but they’re equally good on their own. Just a warning: kakas are incredibly moreish. They never last longer than a few days in my pantry.
Ingredients:
125g butter or margarine
3 cups self-raising flour
2 tbsp caster sugar (I like to use raw caster sugar but white is fine)
2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
⅔ cup warm water
Method:
In a large bowl, cube the butter or margarine and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and fennel seeds. Add the water and mix until you have a soft dough. (If you need to add more water to bring the dough together, do so slowly, half a teaspoon at a time.) Put the dough in a freezer bag, seal the bag and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized balls. Return 3 balls to the freezer bag so they don’t dry out. Divide the remaining ball into 12 equal-sized balls. Roll one ball into a thin snake, approximately 18cm long and 1cm wide. (I find it easiest to do this on a silicone pastry mat, using both hands.) Form the snake into a ring and pinch the ends together to seal the kaka. Place the kaka on the baking tray, allowing enough space for it to expand a little. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Bake at 180°C fan-forced for 18-20 minutes, or until the kakas are golden. Cool them on a wire rack and store in an airtight container. Kakas also freeze well.
Tips:
I don’t like fennel seeds so I never add them to my kakas. But you, like many others, might love the fennel seed version. If so, feel free to add more than the two teaspoons in the recipe.
Use dairy-free margarine to make vegan kakas. (I always make them this way.)
I often make a half-batch of 24 kakas when I don’t have the time or energy to roll out a whole batch of 48.
(Excerpted with permission from Indian-Jewish Food: Recipes and Stories from the Backstreets of Bondi by Elana Benjamin, published by Sydney Jewish Museum; 2024)
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