BLOEMFONTEIN LAMB CURRY | SA Garden and Home

Shisanyama Braai Recipes from South Africa, R345, Bookstorm, is the latest book by South Africa’s king of the grill, Jan Braai and includes his fans’ favourites and a collection of his own tried and trusted recipes.

INGREDIENTS

For the meat

2kg lamb knuckle or neck pieces
1t salt
1t pepper
juice of 1 lemon
500ml amasi (fermented milk otherwise known as maas)
2t turmeric

For the curry

2 tots olive oil
3 onions, chopped
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods
3 bay leaves
1 tot garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
Fresh ginger, equal in volume to the garlic, grated
2 fresh chillies,
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tots apricot jam

To serve

Rice or Roosterkoek

METHOD

Put the lamb in a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Toss well and add the lemon juice, amasi and turmeric. Mix together and put aside. If for longer than a few hours, refrigerate it.
Place the oil and onions in your potjie on the hot fire and fry the onions until translucent.
Add all the spices, including the garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry for a minute or two until they’re fragrant and start to brown. Don’t let them burn.
Add the lamb including all the marinade. Mix it together and bring the meat to a simmer. Leave it to simmer for around 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and apricot jam. Toss everything until evenly mixed, put the lid on the potjie and leave it to simmer for 2 hours.
Lift the lid occasionally during cooking, run your wooden spoon along the bottom of the potjie and check that it’s not burning. If the potjie is becoming dry and looks as if it’s going to burn, add a bit of water, or reduce the heat underneath so it simmers less aggressively. Never add too much extra water or it will turn into a soup.
After 2 hours, check that you’re happy with the consistency, and if not, let it simmer further without the lid. The meat should be tender and easily come off the bone with a fork.

(Serves 6)