Durban curry

Ingredients

Masala base

• 5 tbspsunflower oil
• 2large onions, finely chopped
• 20fresh curry leaves
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4green cardamom pods
• 3cloves
• 1star anise
• 1 tspfennel seeds
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 6garlic cloves and 30 g ginger, blended to a paste

Spice

• 4 tbsphot Durban masala or extra-hot Kashmiri chilli blend
• 1 tbspground coriander
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspgaram masala, for the end

Body

• 1.2 kgmutton on the bone, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 3tomatoes, coarsely grated, skins discarded
• 2 tspsalt
• 700 mlwater
• 4potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1small bunch coriander, chopped

To serve

• steamed white rice or roti
• carrot sambal
• mango atchar
• plain yoghurt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot until it shimmers, then add the whole spices and curry leaves and let them crackle for 30 seconds.
2. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until they are dark brown and jammy. Durban cooks take the onions much further than most Indian recipes, and this is where the colour of the finished curry comes from.
3. Stir in the garlic-ginger paste and cook 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
4. Slacken the ground masala, coriander, cumin and turmeric with 4 tbsp water into a paste and fry it in the pot for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the oil separates and the paste darkens. Frying dry chilli powder without water will scorch it in seconds.
5. Add the mutton, raise the heat and turn the pieces for 5–6 minutes until they are fully coated and sealed in the masala.
6. Add the grated tomato and salt, cook 8–10 minutes until the mixture tightens and red oil pools at the edge.
7. Pour in the water, cover and simmer very gently for 60–75 minutes, until the meat pulls from the bone. Slide in the potatoes for the final 25 minutes.
8. Uncover, reduce until the gravy is thick and the oil has risen in a distinct red slick, which is the mark of a proper Durban curry. Stir in the garam masala and coriander off the heat, rest 10 minutes and serve with rice or roti, sambal and atchar.

Technique

• Durban curry is a South African Indian creation, hotter and simpler than most Indian regional curries: it leans on chilli, curry leaves and long-browned onion rather than on cream, nuts or yoghurt.
• The floating layer of red oil is not a fault. Durban cooks judge a curry by it, and skimming it off is considered to throw away the flavour.
• The potatoes are structural, not filler. They absorb chilli heat and thicken the gravy as their starch leaches out.

Substitutions

• No Durban masala: blend 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp fennel and ½ tsp turmeric, adjusting heat with cayenne.
• Sugar bean or butter bean curry is made identically, minus the browning step, and is the standard meat-free Durban version.
• Chicken pieces on the bone work on the same method with only 30 minutes of simmering.

Variations

• Crab curry, a Durban speciality made with blue swimmer crabs in the same masala.
• Prawn curry with a tamarind edge, from the city’s coastal kitchens.
• Served inside a hollowed loaf as bunny chow, the way most of Durban eats it.

History

Developed by Natal’s Indian community after 1860 using local chili and masala; it is hotter and thinner than most Indian regional curries.

Frequently asked questions

What is Durban curry?

Durban curry is a main from South Africa: blazing red mutton or bean curry, oil-slicked and served with rice or bread. Developed by Natal’s Indian community after 1860 using local chili and masala; it is hotter and thinner than most Indian regional curries.

How long does Durban curry take to make?

Durban curry takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Durban curry?

Yes, within limits. No Durban masala: blend 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp fennel and ½ tsp turmeric, adjusting heat with cayenne. Sugar bean or butter bean curry is made identically, minus the browning step, and is the standard meat-free Durban version. Chicken pieces on the bone work on the same method with only 30 minutes of simmering.

What is the most important thing to get right in Durban curry?

Heat the oil in a heavy pot until it shimmers, then add the whole spices and curry leaves and let them crackle for 30 seconds.