My husband and I (obviously) love trying new and different recipes. Living in Philadelphia, we are lucky enough to have a pretty solid restaurant scene, covering quite a range of cuisines. So my interest is always peaked by a recipe I haven’t tried before that comes from a different part of the world and I can make at home, like this recipe for Cape Malay Curry.
Cape Malay Curry comes from Cape Town, South Africa. Beginning in the 17th century, slaves from Indonesia and Southeast Asia were brought to work the farms of Cape Town, South Africa. Known as Cape Malays, the name “Cape” is derived from the Cape of Good Hope and “Malay” refers to the community’s Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean ancestry.
The Cape Malay community has had a lot of influence on South African foods, particularly with the introduction of certain spices, hot sauces, and curries. This chunky beef stew is a sweet and savory curry dish, which reminds me a bit of my husband’s favorite meal, Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine, so I had a feeling we’d like this recipe.
This is definitely a weekend meal; it simmers on the stove for 2 hours. However, it could easily be multiplied to make a large batch and frozen for future meals.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 1/4 cups less-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
- 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/3 cup apricot spread
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (or coconut milk to make dairy-free)
- 1 cup cooked rice
Combine turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well.
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the spice mixture and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add in your ginger, bay leaves, and garlic, cooking for 15 seconds.
Add the beef and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add beef broth, bell pepper, dried apricots, apricot spread, and red wine vinegar; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Uncover and discard the bay leaves. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until beef is very tender.
Remove from heat, stir in the buttermilk, and serve over rice.
I made this on a particularly chilly Saturday and boy did it hit the spot. The beef was so tender and picked up all of the wonderful flavors of the broth.
I know it isn’t much to look at, but that may be because after smelling this cook for 2 hours, I just couldn’t wait another minute to dig in, so my photo quality may have suffered. (I’m not even sorry. It is that tasty!)
My husband immediately requested that we add this one to the rotation, so I will definitely be making a larger batch of this on an upcoming weekend so we can have it again!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 1/4 cups less-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
- 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/3 cup apricot spread
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (or coconut milk to make dairy-free)
- 1 cup cooked rice
Instructions
- Combine turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well.
- Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the spice mixture and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add in your ginger, bay leaves, and garlic, cooking for 15 seconds.
- Add the beef and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add beef broth, bell pepper, dried apricots, apricot spread, and red wine vinegar; bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Uncover and discard the bay leaves. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until beef is very tender.
- Remove from heat, stir in the buttermilk, and serve over rice.
- I made this on a particularly chilly Saturday and boy did it hit the spot. The beef was so tender and picked up all of the wonderful flavors of the broth.
- I know it isn’t much to look at, but that may be because after smelling this cook for 2 hours, I just couldn’t wait another minute to dig in, so my photo quality may have suffered. (I’m not even sorry. It is that tasty!)
- My husband immediately requested that we add this one to the rotation, so I will definitely be making a larger batch of this on an upcoming weekend so we can have it again!
You mention water in the Instructions but no amount in the Ingredient list.
I’m going to make it anyway, but I’m curious.