Cape Malay Curry Mince is a great example of South Africa’s remarkably diverse cuisine, as befits a country of its size and scope. One of South Africa’s oldest population groups are known as the Cape Malay, originally comprised of peoples brought from various parts of the East Indies to the Cape Colony by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century, as slaves and indentured servants. With historical cultural references tracing back to Indonesia, China, India and other parts of southeast and southern Asia combined with food stuffs native to South Africa, Cape Malay cuisine is particularly memorable, ranging from starters through to desserts. Savory and sweet elements are often combined in many of its recipes. South African Cape Malay Curry Mince is in its simplest essence a ground beef curry; however, its subtle mix of seasonings will beguile you and make it so much more. Start with Sicilian Orange Salad for an unusual but great meal. Try it and enjoy!
Prep Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. Serves 6.
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Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Cooking Oil (Olive/Canola Oil blend is recommended)
- 1 ½ lbs. Ground Beef (73/27 or 80/20 blend recommended)
- 1 ½ cups Onion, peeled, sliced very thinly lengthwise
- 1 Tb crushed Ginger*
- 1 Tb minced Garlic
- 10 Green Cardamom pods*, slightly bruised
- 10 whole Cloves
- 3 Cinnamon sticks
- 3 Bay Leaves, preferably fresh
- 1 tsp ground Coriander
- 1 tsp ground Cumin
- 1 Tb ground Turmeric
- ½ tsp coarse Sea Salt
- Pinch Saffron threads
- 1 tsp Garam Masala*
- ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes
- ¾ lb Potatoes, washed and trimmed
- 1 ½ cups frozen Peas
Preparation:
- Pour the cooking oil into a 5-quart Dutch oven over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, crumble the ground beef into it, stir and brown the beef.
- Slightly bruise the green cardamom pods using the flat of a chef’s knife to make them gently pop.
- Combine the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, turmeric, sea salt, saffron, garam masala and crushed red pepper flakes in small bowl to make your seasoning.
- Cut the washed and trimmed potatoes into bite-size pieces and set aside in a bowl.
- When the beef has browned, add the onion, ginger and garlic to the pot. Stir, cover and cook until the onion softens.
- Once the onion has softened, sprinkle your seasonings into the pot, stir and cook uncovered for 2 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the pot, stir and add a tablespoon or two of water if it is sticking to the pot. Cover and cook until the potatoes pieces are beginning to soften and loose their sharp edges, about 15 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas to the pot, stir to mix with the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves prior to serving.
- Serve South African Cape Malay Curry Mince with roti or naan and accompanied by a carrot sambal for a true South African dinner.
*Notes:
- Crushed Ginger is packaged in jars and can be purchased at Indian and Middle Eastern supermarkets and on-line.
- Green Cardamom pods and Garam Masala can be purchased at Indian and Middle Eastern supermarkets and on-line.