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I know based on downloads how much you loved my Durban Chicken Curry, so I thought I would share one of my favorite curry recipes.

A classic lamb curry my mom used to make.

The best part about it is that it uses LOTS and LOTS of lamb bones. After all, the flavor of curry comes from the bones.

The first time I tried to make it, I broke my knife attempting to portion the lamb into smaller pieces. My mom was hysterical with laughter when I told her. She assumed that I’d be smart enough to ask the butcher to cut the bones. Not so obvious to me so I suggest you do this.

It sounds like a lot of spices but trust me you don’t want to leave any of them out. They work brilliantly to create a curry that will have you licking the bowl. I like to make my curry a day or two ahead. The flavors just get better with time. You can serve it with rice or nan.

And don’t forget to share this with your friends.

I cannot wait to hear what you think of my mom’s curry. Please let me know.

xxx Chef MM

SOUTH AFRICAN LAMB CURRY – CHEF MELISSA MAYO

Traditional South African Lamb CurryFOR THE CURRY4-6 lbs / 2-3kg of lamb necks, knuckles, shoulders (ask your butcher to cut them into small pieces)Coarse sa…

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South African Lamb Curry

  • Author: Melissa Mayo

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE CURRY

  • 46 lbs/ 2-3 kg of lamb necks, knuckles, shoulders (ask your butcher to cut them into small pieces)
  • Coarse salt and black pepper
  • 2 onions diced into small pieces
  • 1 green apple diced into small pieces
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 2 tsp fresh chopped garlic
  • 1 TBS ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 TBS turmeric
  • 3 TBS curry powder (hot red curry or use a milder yellow curry if you don’t like spicy food)
  • 1 TBS garam masala
  • 1 tsp fresh coriander seeds
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp fresh cardamom seeds
  • 1 tspn fresh cumin seeds
  • 3 cups of beef stock
  • 28 oz /790 g tin of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 TBS sugar

FOR THE SIDES

  • White rice
  • Nan bread
  • 3 bananas – sliced
  • Shredded coconut
  • Chutney
  • Tomato cucumber salad (3 Persian cucumbers, ¼ red onions, 2 ripe red tomatoes)

Instructions

Season the meat well with salt and pepper. Brown it on all sides on medium/high heat. Set aside. Lower the heat to medium/low and add the chopped onions and green apple. Sweat them until they are golden and caramelized. Set them aside.

In the same pot add all the spices (ginger, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom seeds). Sauté these on medium heat to bring out the flavor and aroma.

Add the beef stock, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and add apples, onions & meat. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. Uncover and let it simmer for another hour to thicken the sauce. Skim off any excess fat

Cut the ingredients for the tomato and cucumber salad into little cubes and season with salt & pepper.

Serve with rice or Nan bread. Serve a tomato-cucumber salad & some sliced bananas, chutney, and shredded coconut on the side.

SERVES 6

Notes

You can use a yellow curry powder or halve the quantity of curry if you want a milder curry

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Share a photo and tag me @themelissamayo— I can't wait to see what you've made!

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I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

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