Durban Lamb Curry Potjiekos

This is such a yummy, warm, full of spices and heat, Durban Lamb Curry Potjiekos. It's even won first prize at a Potjie competition! These flavours bring back beautiful memories of New Year's Eve celebrations in Knysna, church camps in the Karoo and chilly winter sunsets at the riverside in the Garden route, South Africa. We've even made this in the Netherlands!

Durban Lamb Curry Potjiekos

Ingredients:

Oil 

1.5 Kg lamb shoulder or knuckles

3 large onions quartered

5 cloves Garlic

8cm fresh ginger

1 Tbsp each of coriander and cumin

2 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp Garam Masala

3 Tbsp Curry powder

1-2 cups mutton stock

1-2 cups red wine

bag of baby potatoes (or 6 quartered & peeled potatoes)

12 Curry Leaves

2 tins tomatoes

30ml sugar

6 carrots, peeled and chopped. 

a pack of vegetables of your choice. (Beans or sweetcorn work well) if you choose cauliflower, only add this at the end

30ml cornflour for thickening. 

Method:

1) Heat the Potjie pot on a nice bed of coals. Brown the meat when the pot is hot. Remove and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. 

2) Fry the onions. 

3) Add the spices and fry 1 minute, allowing flavours to bloom. 

4) Add tomato, sugar, browned meat and wine. Now close the lid and allow this to simmer for 30 - 45 min. 

5) Add the prepared vegetables and stock on top. Season with Salt and pepper. Close and simmer for another 30-45 min. (Remember not to stir the pot, let it cook in layers)

6) Add a few cherry tomatoes and cauliflower for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. 

7) Remove a cup of liquid and dissolve the cornflour in it, return to pot to thicken the gravy.

Enjoy on a bed of rice with a fresh salad!

South African Milk Tart (with Gluten & Dairy Free options)

 This is a South African favorite that is passed around from Mother to Daughter, Sister to Sister and Friend to Friend.

Crust Ingredients:

1C Flour (GF: Use your favorite Gluten Free flour)

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Cornflour

Pinch Salt

100-125g Stork Margarine (DF: Use vegan margarine)

Crust Method:

1) Measure Dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl

2) Add Margarine and cut in until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

3) Press this into the bottom of a pie dish. (I prefer to not crust the sides) Prick with a fork.

4) Bake at 180* for 12-25 minutes, depending how golden you like your crust.

5) Allow to cool completely.

Filling Ingredients:

3C Milk (DF: Use a creamy Almond milk substitute)

2 Eggs

1/2C Sugar

50ml Flour (GF: Gluten Free flour)

50ml Cornflour

Salt

1 Tbsp Margarine

5ml Vanilla Essence

Cinnamon

Filling Method:

1) Heat milk until just boiling in a large pot on the stove. Switch off.

2) Use the previous mixing bowl and beat eggs, sugar, flour, cornflour & salt with a whisk.

3) Add a ladle of warm milk to the mixing bowl and whisk, gradually adding more and more milk. (about half)

4) Now slowly pour the mixture into the milk pot and stir on a gentle heat until it thickens. 

5) Remove from heat and add Margarine and vanilla essence.

6) Pour the milk mixture over the cooled crust and sprinkle generously with cinnamon on top.

7) Allow about 3 hours for this to set and cool. Best made a day or two before it's needed.

Serves 8-12

Day 4 Bonus! Chocolate Marie Squares (DF)

Photo Credit: Hub pages . com

This is a precious recipe that brings back so many childhood memories of precious time spent visiting my Oma Jeltje on her large sunny property in South Africa with a garden most children dream of. If my memory serves me correctly she would make Date Squares for the Grown Ups and these Chocolate Marie Squares for the children at Christmas time. But they're good any time of year!

Choc-Marie Squares (DF)

Ingredients:
500g  Icing sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
4 Tbs Cocoa powder
250g  Margarine (DF: Use Wooden spoon margarine)
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 1/4 Packets Marie Biscuits

 
Method:
1. Mix the sugar, salt, cocoa & margarine with mixer in a mixing bowl.
2. Melt for 2 min in the microwave.
3. Add egg & vanilla & mix until smooth.
4. Add crushed Marie biscuits. Pour into a greased baking tray and smooth the surface.
5. Allow it to set in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours before cutting into uniform squares.

Makes: 1 tray

South African Malva Pudding (G, W, D Free)

This recipe comes from my Oma Jeltje's kitchen and is an all time favorite!!! She knows that it is Malcolm's favorite dessert so she used to make it for him every time we'd go there for supper. Now that we live in Knysna, we miss out on her amazing home-cooked meals. :( Sniff
NOTE: To make this wheat, gluten and dairy free follow the brackets ()

South African Malva Pudding

Ingredients:
5ml Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 C Milk (Rice milk)
200g Flour (Use Gluten free flour)
5ml Baking Powder (gluten free)
100g White Sugar
2 Eggs
30ml Smooth Apricot Jam
20g Softened Butter (dairy free margarine like Wooden Spoon)

Sauce:
1 1/2 C Water
1C Cream (Rice milk)
1/2C Margarine
1/2C White sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180*. Spray a 2l casserole dish (make sure of size!)
2. Dissolve the Bicarb in the milk. Set aside.
3. Measure all the other ingredients into a large mixing bowl, add the soda milk and blend until smooth.
4. Spoon the mixture into the casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. While you wait, heat the sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves.
6. Pour the hot sauce over the pudding as it comes out of the oven. Allow it to soak in.
7. Serve hot with custard or ice cream.

Serves 10                  ~ Double to make for a crowd of 20!

Yellow Rice

I used to think that Yellow Rice was just normal rice coloured with Turmeric, until I stumbled upon this recipe from "The Saffron Pear Tree" by Zuretha Roos. It makes the best tasting Yellow rice ever!!! Go ahead and try it! It's a must with South African Bobotie.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients:
1 C Long Grain Rice
5ml Salt
5ml Turmeric
30ml Yellow sugar
2.5ml Ground Cinnamon
2.5 C water (625ml)
1/2 C Raisins (125ml)

Method:
1. Bring everything to a boil in a large pot.
2. Reduce heat to lowest possible and allow to simmer until the liquid is absorbed. (Usually 30min)

Makes: about 4-6 portions

South African Banana Bread

This recipe belongs to my dear Mother, not sure who she inherited it from, but it's the best Banana Bread Recipe I have ever come across. Don't be tempted to add more bananas as I find it makes the bread too heavy and so it sinks once you take it out the oven. Why fix what isn't broken right! Stick to this recipe and you'll enjoy sweet success mmmmmmm......
Note: I make mine Dairy and Wheat/Gluten free, so I've added Dairy Free and Wheat Free notes for those with allergies

South African Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Margarine (DF: use Wooden Spoon Margarine)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Jumbo Eggs
1 Cup Mashed Bananas (2 large, 4 small)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
2 Cups Flour (W/GF: Replace with equal quantity of Gluten free flour mix)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Bicarb (baking soda)
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 Cup Milk (DF: Replace with rice or soya milk)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180*C
2. Cream margarine and Sugar.
3. Add eggs, banana, and vanilla essence and mix well.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients and milk alternately, mix well.
5. Turn into a greased loaf tin. (don't fill more than 4/5, it will overflow)
6. Bake for 60-65 minutes.

Muffin Variation:
1. Follow steps 1-4 above.
2. Pour batter into muffin cups, filling 4/5.
3. Bake for 30 minutes
4. Makes 12-18 depending on size