Bo-Kaap Cape Malay Kerrie - South African Cape Malay Curry

French Tart's Note:

This distinctive and tasty authentic curry relies heavily on the special blend of spices, known as Cape Malay curry powder. Cape Malay curries are famous for their fruity and full-bodied flavours, making good use of local colourful vegetables or meat and fish, they are not as hot as the curries used in the Indian kitchen. This "secret" recipe hails from one of the steamy kitchens in the vibrant Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town; it was on a recipe sheet given to my mum from a spice shop in that wonderful area, in the 1950's. The Bo-Kaap area is a treat; the houses are painted gorgeous bright colours that won't fail to make you smile, there are always children playing in the streets and the haunting call of the muezzin will remind you of exotic destinations such as Istanbul and Cairo. And then there's the smell of spices that wafts through open doorways and comes rushing out at you as you walk past Atlas Trading, the local spice emporium. You might be just minutes from the centre of elegant and sophisticated Cape Town, but you'll feel as though you're in a different country. Serve this curry with yellow rice and a variety of sambals and atjars.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 ½ kg bonelessmutton shoulder or 1 ½ kg boneless lamb shoulder
• oil
• 4 onions , peeled and chopped
• 2 -4 garlic cloves , peeled and minced
• 1 piece fresh gingerroot , peeled and crushed
• 1 tablespoon cape malay curry powder or 1 tablespoon mild curry powder , of your choice
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots , peeled and diced
• 250 g dried apricots , soaked in warm water and drained
• 2 bananas , peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 50 ml wine vinegar
• 250 ml meat stock
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam
• 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan.
2. Over high heat, fry the onions and garlic, stirring continuously. Add the ginger, curry powder and all the spices and continue stirring for a minute. Season to taste with pepper and add the salt.
3. Reduce heat slightly. Add the meat and fry it until it is browned on all sides. (This may be easier if you remove the onions, garlic and ginger mixture and set them aside, then return them to the pot after the meat is browned.).
4. Add the vinegar and stock, plus all the other remaining ingredients (except the apricot jam and yoghurt). Cover. Reduce heat. Simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, approximately 1 1/2 hours for lamb and 2 hours for mutton, maybe a little longer.
5. Stir in the apricot jam and the yoghurt a few minutes before serving.
6. Serve this curry with yellow rice and a variety of sambals and atjars.

Reviews

[MissMaggie]

Leggy Peggy gave me some of your Bo-Kaap Cape Malay Curry Powder (Recipe #289383) so that meant I had to make the curry - and was it good! I too wondered if it was going to be too sweet and I DIDN'T forget the jam and yogurt. But it turned out perfectly and even DH didn't complain about 'yet another curry':) Many thanks for sharing.

[Leggy Peggy]

Absolutely love this curry -- made using your Bo-Kaap Cape Malay Curry Powder (Recipe #289383). As another reviewer suggested, I doubled the amount of cumin and coriander, but followed the rest -- except that I totally forgot to add the jam and yogurt at the end. Served a raita on the side so the absence of yogurt was not obvious. I worried that the end result might be too sweet or too fruity, but it was perfect, truly perfect. The bananas disappeared into the sauce, as did the apricots, which I had cut in half. Will make this often as part of my curry banquets.

[Marlitt]

This curry had wonderful aroma. Although not really to all our tastes,one of my daughter and son loved it, the other daughter couldn't eat it. I found it a sweet I used regular banana. My South African friend says that when they serve a spicy curry (which this is not ) they usually have bananas on the table that they can cut into the curry to take some of the bite out of it, but they don't cook it in with the curry. I don't know if by banana you meant plantan. Anyway it was finish by the other two the next day so all is good.