CURRY COUNTRY
Warm up your taste buds with these delicious dishes featured in a new South African cookbook
JOURNALIST Ishay Govender-Ypma travelled across her home country, South Africa, to explore how curry is made in every culture and culinary corner. Her cookbook detailing her adventure illustrates the diversity of tastes, ingredients and influences in South Africa. Here she shares dishes from five of SA’s nine provinces.
VASHNA’S BEEF BHUNA
Vashna Jagarnath from Grahamstown calls on food writer Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb bhuna for inspiration for her beef version. The curry is a drier variety – one where the spices coat the meat and brown it and the sauce thickens, clinging to it. It works beautifully paired with a roti or naan that you use to scoop up the meat. And it makes a perfect salomie or sandwich filling.
SERVES 4 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 1¾ hours
1 kg beef cubes (boneless) 10 ml (2 t) black or yellow
mustard seeds 10 ml (2 t) cumin seeds 15 ml (1 T) coriander seeds 10 ml (2 t) fenugreek seeds 10 ml (2 t) fennel seeds 2 dried red chillies, crushed 30 ml (2 T) oil 1 large onion, chopped
15 ml (1 T) grated
ginger 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1 can (410 g) peeled and chopped tomatoes 1 small habanero chilli,
sliced (optional) 2,5 ml (½ t) brown
sugar 8-10 curry leaves, torn salt 250 ml (1 c) water,
plus extra if needed TO SERVE 2,5 ml (½ t) garam
masala chopped fresh coriander, carrot salad and rotis 1 Wash the meat, dry with paper towels and set aside. 2 Add the seeds and dried chillies to a medium nonstick frying pan over mediumlow heat. Toast for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan so the spices don’t burn. You’ll smell the fragrance released from the seeds. 3 Remove from the pan immediately and cool slightly. Process in a spice grinder to form a powder (it doesn’t have to be very fine). 4 Add the oil to a medium saucepan and heat over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and spice mix and fry for 1 minute while stirring. 5 Add the meat and stir to coat well. Cook for 5 minutes. 6 Add the tomatoes, habanero chilli (if using), sugar and curry leaves and season with salt. Cook for a few minutes then add the 250 ml (1 c) water. Turn the heat down to low and allow the curry to simmer for about 1½ hours with the lid on tightly. Check often to see if the meat is catching and, if it is, add a little water. 7 To serve Sprinkle the garam masala and fresh coriander over. Serve with the salad and rotis.
LUKE’S COCONUT CRAB CURRY
Luke Nair’s recipe is a spin on the classic red-hot Durban crab curry. He uses coconut cream and fresh coconut in the sauce, which gives it a distinct South Indian or Sri Lankan profile. SERVES 4 Preparation: 30 min Standing: 30 min Cooking: 20 min 60 ml (¼ c) freshly
squeezed lemon juice 1,5 kg fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) crab pieces in the shell 125 ml (½ c) oil 1 medium onion,
chopped 30 ml (2 T) crushed
garlic 15 ml (1 T) grated
ginger 10 ml (2 t) turmeric 80 ml (¹⁄₃ c) masala 8-10 curry leaves 15 ml (1 T) ground
coriander 10 ml (2 t) ground
cumin 10 ml (2 t) ground
fennel 200 ml puréed
tomatoes 50 g tamarind dissolved in 100 ml water (strain and discard the seeds) freshly ground pepper 150 ml coconut cream 100 g grated fresh
coconut salt TO SERVE fresh coriander rice or white bread 1 Sprinkle the lemon juice over the crab and set aside for about 30 minutes. 2 Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and ginger while stirring. 3 Add the turmeric, masala and curry leaves. 4 Add the ground spices, tomatoes and tamarind water and cook for 5 minutes. 5 Stir in the crab, pepper, coconut cream, grated coconut and salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat. 6 To serve Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice or bread.
LISBETH’S CAULIFLOWER CURRY
Lisbeth Mametja from Hoedspruit met Nick Medjoma from Mumbai at a lodge they both worked at. She watched him cook for guests and now has a big cookbook with Indian recipes. SERVES 4-6 Preparation: 10 min Cooking: 35-40 min 3 medium onions,
chopped 3 green chillies,
chopped
30 ml (2 T) oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 5 ml (2 t) grated ginger 2,5 ml (½ t) turmeric 2,5 ml (½ t) ground
cumin 2,5 ml (½ t) ground
coriander 2,5 ml (½ t) chilli
powder 3 small tomatoes,
chopped 2 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces 60 ml (¼ c) water,
plus extra if needed salt TO SERVE fresh coriander rice or pap 1 In a large saucepan over medium heat, fry the onions and chillies in oil until soft. 2 Add the garlic and ginger and stir until the onions are brown. 3 Stir in the powdered spices and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. 4 Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. 5 Add the cauliflower and 60 ml (¼ c) water. Season with salt and cover with a lid. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked (tender but not mushy). Add more water if needed. 6 To serve Sprinkle coriander over and serve with rice or pap.
CASS’ CAPE CHICKEN CURRY
“This is one of the first curries I learnt to cook. I still make it today and all you need is chicken, potatoes and spices to make a tasty, aromatic meal in less than 30 minutes,” Cass Abrahams from Cape Town says. SERVES 4-6 Preparation: 15 min Cooking: 30 min 30 ml (2 T) oil 1 large onion,
sliced 3 cardamom pods 2 small cassia or
cinnamon sticks 8-10 chicken pieces,
with skin 1 tomato, peeled
and chopped 1 green chilli, slit
(optional) 5 ml (1 t) turmeric 15 ml (1 T) ground
cumin 15 ml (1 T) ground
coriander 5 ml (1 t) chilli flakes 15 ml (1 T) hot masala 15 ml (1 T) ginger and
garlic paste 250 ml (1 c) water
(plus extra if needed) 4 large potatoes,
peeled and quartered TO SERVE salt 1 bunch fresh
coriander, chopped yellow rice with raisins
or white rice 1 In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cardamom and cassia or cinnamon sticks. Sauté until the onion is soft and transparent. 2 Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 10 minutes. 3 Add the tomato, chilli (if using), turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and masala and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Mix the chicken with the spices. 4 Add the ginger and garlic paste, 250 ml (1 c) water and potatoes. Cook with the lid on until the potatoes are tender. Add more water if needed. 5 To serve Season with salt and sprinkle fresh coriander over. Serve with rice.
HANLIE’S YUM-YUM PORK CURRY
While Hanlie Morel from Ladybrand uses pork shoulder, you can use a less expensive cut – but it will take a little longer to cook. SERVES 4 Preparation: 10 min Cooking: about 45 min 30 ml (2 T) oil 1 kg pork shoulder or leg (with or without bones), cubed 2 medium onions,
coarsely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 10 ml (2 t) finely
chopped ginger 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 15 ml (1 T) Rajah
curry powder (hot) 1,2 ml (¼ t) ground
cumin 500 ml (2 c) beef stock salt and pepper 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (optional) 4 medium potatoes,
peeled and cubed 10 ml (2 t) cake flour, for thickening (optional) TO SERVE
rice and sambals 1 Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom saucepan over high heat. Dry the meat with paper towels and add to the saucepan. Fry until browned on all sides. 2 Add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté until the onions soften. Add the curry powder and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously so the spices don’t burn. 3 Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for about 25 minutes or until the pork is tender. 4 Add the carrots (if using) and potatoes and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. 5 To thicken the sauce make a slurry with the flour and a little water. Mix well, add to the curry sauce and simmer to cook. 6 To serve Serve with rice and sambals.