Durban-style Mutton Curry with Potatoes and Dumplings

Durban-style Mutton Curry with Potatoes and Dumplings is a traditional South African recipe for a classic Durban-style curry of mutton an potatoes with dombolo (dumplings). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of: Durban-style Mutton Curry with Potatoes and Dumplings.

prep time

10 minutes

cook time

40 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesMutton RecipesSouth-africa Recipes

This is a classic Durban curry from South Africa. It’s made more frugal by the addition of potatoes (normally I would use baby potatoes, as in the recipe though on the day I took the image only potato chunks were available) and finishing with a topping of dumplings. You might not see these in restaurant curries, but they are frequently added to more home-style cookery. Along with mutton or goat meat you can also make this with venison or wildebeest.

A note of clarification, in South Africa (as in the UK), mutton is a sheep typically over two years of age. This has a gamier flavour than lamb and is more suited to long cooking with spices. In India mutton typically refers to goat meat.

In Durban at least, ginger and garlic paste is commonly available everywhere. If you do not have it conveniently to hand, simply grate together equal amounts of ginger and peeled garlic. However, ‘cinnamon’ in Durban typically means cassia bark rather than true cinnamon and ground cinnamon means ground cassia. This is an important distinction as though the flavour profiles are similar cassia gives food a red tinge, which cinnamon does not.

Ingredients:

For the Curry:
1.5kg (4 lbs) mutton meat (neck fillets and shoulder are best; this should include bone for flavour)
500g (1 lb) baby potatoes, scrubbed
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
250ml grated tomatoes (remove the seeds and skin and grate just the flesh)
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
10 curry leaves (about 1 sprig)
2 tbsp Durban masala (or meat curry masala)
½ tbsp garam masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cardamom (or 6 green cardamom pods, smashed)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon (cassia) or 6 pieces of cassia bark
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp tomato puree
500ml water
Leaves from 1/2 bunch coriander (cilantro), coarsely chopped
Sea salt, to taste

For the Dumplings (Dombolo):
250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) cake flour
250ml (1 cup) water
Salt, to taste

Method:

Trim the meat of excess fat and sinew then cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix together the onions, garlic and ginger.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven (a cast iron pot would be most common) and use to brown the meat over high heat, working in batches. As each batch finishes browning remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Once done, reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and use to fry the curry leaves for 90 seconds. Now add the onion, ginger and garlic. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Stir in all the spices and stir-fry or 4 minutes more.

Return the meat to the pan and stir-fry for 5 minutes before adding the grated tomato. Stir until just mixed in then add the water and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt then reduce to a simmer and arrange the potatoes in circles around the edges of your pot (this allows the dumplings to be added later).

Cover and allow to cook over moderate heat for about 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the meat is tender. Every 10 minutes or so, spoon a little of the curry gravy over the potatoes.

For the dumplings, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Form a well in the centre, add the water and mix well to combine. You are looking for a dropping consistency.

Dumplings need about 15 minutes to cook, so after the curry has cooked for 25 minutes scoop tbsps of the dough on top of the curry. Re-cover with the lid and allow the curry to cook and the dumplings to steam for 15 minutes more.

The dumplings are done when a skewer inserted into their centres emerge cleanly.

Remove the lid, scatter over the coriander (cilantro) leaves and serve immediately, accompanied by rice, rotis or other flatbread and a side salad.