This Cape Malay lamb curry is a version of a very traditional dish from Cape Town that uses hearty ingredients—lamb, potatoes, onions and tomatoes—in combination with a distinctive combination of spices in a delicious and filling dish.
Kitchen of Babel
This Cape Malay lamb curry is a version of a very traditional dish drawn from South Africa's rich culinary heritage brought by peoples who originally arrived at the Cape from Indonesia and whose distinctive style of cooking, most usually associated with Cape Town and the Western Cape, is one of the country's gems of it rich tapestry of Diasporan gastronomy.
It's a dish firmly grounded in the food legacies of the Indonesian slaves, servants, labourers and clerical staff brought to the Cape by the Dutch from Batavia. During the period that the Dutch ruled the roost at "the Cape of Good Hope", this particular cuisine emerged and evolved into what today is called "Cape Malay cooking".
It's another of the recipes taught to me by the formidable Violet when I would visit her in her retirement in Wales. She was delighted to have a fan of the cooking she'd learned as a child in Cape Town's District Six. Quite aside from teaching me to cook amazing dishes, Violet was even more pleased to be able to take a stroll down memory lane with someone who understood her mother tongue of Afrikaans and her specific sense of humour, that Capetonian stoutheid (naughtiness) that I associate with the culture and people of the city beneath Table Mountain.
Her husband Gareth would roll his eyes as she raced on at 100mph and I chuckled at her florid use of Kaapse slang. Violet would catch him out of the corner of her eye:"Ja! Now you know what it's like when your lot are all speaking Welsh at Sunday lunch." Gareth, would just grin like a Cheshire cat and mumble something in Welsh neither Violet nor I understood.
The only problem was trying to keep up with her as she energetically bounced between teaching me to cook these dishes and anecdotes on a myriad of other subjects that occupied her in her retirement—anything from her musings on British misconceptions about Athol Fugard—"Hulle weet nie eers wat 'n bergie is nie!"—to updates on her daughter who had emigrated to Vancouver.
What I learned from Violet was far more than amazing dishes. All of her dishes carry a history as layered as the flavours. But, that, as they say, is another story. However, it was hard to follow—not the history, but the cooking. For one thing, she vehemently opposed me writing anything down: "Nee, boetie! Geen pootlood nie! ("No, little brother! No pencil!") If you don't know it here (tapping her head), you'll never know it here (thumping her chest)." So, to some extent, this is the composite of what I actually remember and what I've learned through trying and testing it over the years.
To curry or not to curry?
This is what Violet called her "fancy lamb curry". More quotidian Cape Malay versions would never use coconut milk in the gravy, opting instead for desiccated coconut in the condiments.
The irony is that this dish actually uses curry leaves—how, therefore, could it not be called a curry? But, contrary to the clichéd assumptions about dishes called "curries" arising on the Indian subcontinent, the spices in this dish are less numerous and cooked in a different order. At heart, it's a dish in which its Muslim Indonesian roots become apparent.
There are things you learn about Cape Malay cooking the more you cook it. For example, while I would describe this as a medium-spicy dish in these quantities, unlike a lot of South African Indian Diasporan cooking, the spiciness in Cape Malay cooking is often added at the table in the form of fiery sambals or hot pickles. This makes it a great dish for groups where how spicy people like their meal varies. It's all relative. For example, my Belgian partner finds this dish "very spicy", too hot for his tastes, even with the spices at these quantities. So, if I'm cooking it for him, I will cook it in a milder version, using only one dried chilli and halve the quantity of chilli powder. Not a problem: I can pile on the chilli sambal at table...
From a cooking process perspective, it also varies notably from Indian approaches to "opening" the spices at the early stage of the dish. For example, in this dish note that the majority of the spices are added in the second stage of the cooking. Furthermore, this definitely is a "slow cook" dish that takes longer to cook at lower temperatures than a lot of Indian cooking. And, you need to take your time to unleash its loveliness; not "quick dish".
I use black cardamoms, which have a deeper, richer flavour that I think works better with lamb, but the more widely available green cardamom pods, which are slightly more fragrant, are actually more commonly used for this kind of dish.
I add bell pepper, both for flavour and variation though not commonly included in traditional versions, but it remains tasty without it. And, I'm using small potatoes, scrubbed, with the skin on—where most of the vitamin C is located—something that I've never seen on the tables of Capetonians who favour chunks of larger, peeled potatoes. Your call.
Similarly, I'm using tinned chopped tomatoes, which are used less frequently in South African cooking with Asian roots. I suspect this has to do with the generally warm climate that makes fresh tomatoes available all year round—or readily grown in gardens. So, it's up to you if you use tinned or chop up the equivalent in fresh tomatoes as long as they are very ripe and you include their juice. Incidentally, I've noticed that when preparing fresh tomatoes for this dish, a lot of Cape cooks use the same technique that you come across in Spain or Southern France: cutting tomatoes into quarters then grating them through a coarse grater and discarding the skins.
Sorry lamb curry
My version uses less lamb than Violet's recipe and different cuts of lamb to boot. It might be useful to look here to understand my rationale on the best lamb to use. There is nothing "wrong" with using thicker cuts of stewing lamb, which are far more traditional. But lamb trim is a better option if you're concerned with reducing your red meat intake. And, of course, it's much better for those cooking on tight budgets.
Because of this, Violet used to call my version "verskoning lamskerrie"—"apology lamb curry". But, she conceded that it was a very tasty version of what she had taught me when I was trying to follow—or at least heading in that direction—the dietary guidelines her doctors stressed as important as she got older with concomitant health issues.
In many Cape Malay recipes, the lamb is added directly without first being browned. Sorry, but people like Julia Childs and my knowledgeable friends Adrian Rifkin, Karel Doms and Fiona Daly and a slew of other foodie cognoscenti would be horrified... So, I can't possibly do that: my version starts with browning the lamb.
This version serves 3 to 4 people, depending on the your side dishes and condiments.
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Shopping list
for the Cape Malay lamb curry
Approx. 400g lamb trim or (alternatives; see above)
2 large onions, (red or brown); sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (or chopped fresh equivalent)
2 bell peppers (yellow or red); sliced
Approx. 350g young potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
3 to 4 tbspns sunflower oil
5 black cardamom pods (or 6 green); bruised
5 or 6 whole cloves
1 tspn whole black peppercorns
5 curry leaves (dried or fresh)
2 dried Kashmiri chillies; sliced into fairly large pieces
1 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn dried cumin
1.5 tspns chilli powder
1.5 tspns turmeric powder
1 tspn Demerara sugar (or other coarse brown sugar)
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
2 tbspns garlic & ginger paste (or minced equivalent from fresh ingredients)
200ml coconut milk
A generous clutch of fresh coriander; chopped
the juice and pulp of 1 fresh lime (optional)
Salt, to taste
for the sides and condiments
Rice, flaky roti or naan breads
"sambal" — chopped green and red chillies, cucumber, shallots and tomato in vinegar
Mango, chilli and pink pepper chutney—or any other fruit chutney
Cooking Method
the Cape Malay lamb curry
Heat 1 tbspn of the oil on a medium heat in the pot (with a lid) in which you will cook the dish. Add the bruised black cardamom pods and whole black peppercorns, followed by the lamb. Seal the lamb in the oil, stirring regularly. Once the lamb is mildly browned, remove from the pot with a sieve spoon and place to one side, leaving the juices, peppercorns and cardamom pods in the pot
Add the remaining oil and heat. Add the onions and stir until coated. Reduce to a low heat, cover and soften the onions fully, cooking for approx. 25 mins, stirring occasionally
When the onions are fully softened, add the sliced bell peppers. Stir, coating with the juices in the pot. Cover and cook for approx 10mins, adding a smidgen of water, if needed, to prevent sticking
Add all of the remaining dried spices, dried chilli pieces, lime juice and pulp (if using) but not the garlic & ginger paste or curry leaves. Stir in and cook for a further 5min
Add the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves. Increase to a medium-high heat, stirring as the tomatoes "bubble". When the tomatoes simmer, add the garlic & ginger paste and stir in. Cook for a further 10mins, stirring to prevent sticking
When you notice a slight reduction, add the sugar and coconut milk, mixing all the ingredients together, increasing the heat and bringing the pot to a healthy simmer. Add the browned lamb back into the pot and fold in. Simmer vigorously for 4 to 5min. Then, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently on a low heat for approx. 20min
Add the potatoes, ensuring they are fully folded in. Cover and simmer on a low heat for at least a further 30mins, stirring occasionally. You want the potatoes and lamb fully cooked and "fork flaky", but not mushy. This may take slightly longer to achieve depending on how low the heat is etc. If the sauce reduces too quickly, top up with boiling water, approx. 30 to 50ml at a time. Conversely, reducing the heat to very low and taking your time to cook it often produces the best results e.g. an additional 50 to 60min cooked at a very low heat.
When the dish is ready, add the chopped coriander and simmer for an additional 2min—alternatively, add it as a garnish when plating.
Remove from the heat and allow to settle, covered, for a minute. Plate or take to table in serving dishes with your desired condiments, rice or naan breads
Alternatives
This fundamentally a lamb dish. So, you might find it a little unexpected that is is one of my tried and tested vegan and vegetarian crowd pleasers. The two versions I rate most highly are those that substitute the lamb with chickpeas or smoked tofu cubes.
In the case of the former, add the pre-cooked (tinned or home-cooked) chickpeas at the stage in which the lamb is added back into the pot above. If going for the smoked tofu option, add it at roughly 15mins after the potatoes have been added in the steps above. Another option is to use whole medium-sized closed cup mushrooms, first browning them as with the lamb above, then adding them back into the mix in the last 10 to 20mins, depending on how low your cooking temperature is. Basically, it's turned out to be a real winner with veggies and vegans in many different variations.
Honestly, my pescatarian experiments with this recipe have been pretty "hit 'n miss". So far, the thing that has worked best is chucking in whole crabs at roughly the point the potatoes are added above. It's actually wonderful if you're up for the whole bib-and-fingers situation, but I would never do it for a dinner party unless you want a dinner party with finger painting. For example, it was always my daughter's favourite when she was a wee lassie, but I would spend so much time helping her pull the meat out of the claws, mine was always stone cold by the time I got to eat it...
Yep, this is a carnivore dish, but it can also be cooked with beef, chicken or game. Its traditional use of lamb reflects halal traditions of Cape Muslim communities of Indonesian descent and the availability (and relative cheapness) of lamb in South Africa at the time the dish was perfected. However, it works equally well with stewing steak or with chicken, especially chicken pieces on the bone; skin-on. And, it's great with game, from guinea fowl and wild duck to kudu.
Brown in the first stages just as above and cook in a similar way. The only thing you need to take into account is that birds will generally cook quicker, reducing the overall cooking time.
Pairings
Like many curries, this dish works well with both beer and wine. Though, respecting the Muslim traditions on which it was forged, it's also great with iced tea and iced mint tea. Or, with iced mineral water with a slice of lemon, probably the drink I most often take with it. And, much as I hate to admit it with that famous cola that would like to teach the world to sing—with a slice of lime. Alternatively, you could go for Violet's favourite, Sparletta Creme Soda, which I would buy in a specialist SAFA shop in London back and cart to Wales back in the day, but is now far more widely available. I did get what she means: the "creme" part of the soda works well with the coconut and creamy finish to this dish.
Beer and curry are a winning combination. I must confess that I'm partial to pairing it with with common or garden Carling Black Label or Castle Lager for perhaps obvious reasons. In Europe, I think Becks probably comes closest to being an honest, simple beer that works well served pretty cold in the South African style.
I'm sure Karel might have a few white wine tips that will work splendidly, but until he does, I'd say that the combination of slow-cooked lamb and potatoes with that coconut richness pull this very much in a red direction. In colder months, it's great even with heavier Tempranillo wines; heavier, woody fare.
But, my personal season-agnostic go-to is not the obvious Cape pinotages—though they can certainly work—but Shiraz, not a grape I naturally love. However, when you pair this dish with something like Sula Vineyards Dindori Reserve Shiraz, you sense that you're pairing it with a varietal of Persian origin, a grape with which the relationship between booze and lamb is literally Old Testament biblical. Bon appétit!
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