A rich, slow cooked Durban mutton curry made with a blend of Indian spices, fresh curry leaves, ginger, garlic and potatoes. An authentic South African Indian one pot comfort meal that is even better the next day.
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot with lid
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Measuring spoons
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (sunflower or any neutral oil)
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (sliced/minced)
- 2 tbsp vadouvan (optional)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 3 tsp ground ginger and garlic
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric
- 4 tbsp mixed Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 kg mutton (b-grade cuts)
- 1 tbsp rough salt (to taste)
- 4 medium potatoes (peeled and sliced)
- Boiling water (as needed - see notes)
- Fresh coriander (to garnish)
Instructions
- Heat sunflower oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and curry leaves and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the sliced/minced garlic, ginger and garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and vadouvan if using. Stir well and cook the spices for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the mutton pieces and chopped tomato. Season with rough salt and stir to coat the meat in the spices. Add about 2 cups of boiling water, close the pot and cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add enough boiling water to just cover the meat. Close the pot and continue cooking for a further 45-60 minutes until the mutton is tender. B-grade mutton takes approximately 1.5 hours total. Add more water if needed to prevent burning.
- Once the mutton has been cooking for about an hour and is nearly tender, add the sliced potatoes. Do not add them too early as they will overcook and melt abit too much into the curry.
- Continue cooking until the potatoes are soft and the curry has thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust salt. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with rice or roti.
Notes
- B-grade mutton gives this curry its rich, deep flavour. However, you can use other mutton cuts. Just remember that you will need to adjust your water and cooking time accordingly and always taste before adding the potatoes.
- Water guide — add 2 cups first, let it cook down, then add more to cover. This builds a deeper flavour than adding all the water at once.
- Potatoes — add these in the last 30 minutes. Added too early they will melt too much into the curry.
- Vadouvan is an optional French-inspired spice blend. It adds a subtle sweetness but the curry is equally delicious without it.
- Storage — store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavour deepens overnight making this even better the next day.