Trevor's Recipe Collection
Trevor's Recipe Collection
Trevor's Kitchen
Trevor's Kitchen
Durban Chicken Curry #2
Durban Chicken Curry #2
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder (or garam masala)
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of whole cumin
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 to 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 inch of fresh ginger (grated)
- 4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
- 8 pieces of chicken (1 kg, preferably thighs and drumsticks or wings)
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- 2 potatoes (diced into half-inch cubes)
- Optional: 1 small rutabaga (swede)
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
Nutritional Info
About the Recipe
By Freda Muyambo
You may wonder why a Durban curry is known as a Durban curry and why this is so important.
The answer is simple. It is thought by many a curry enthusiast that the best curries in the entire world come from the city of Durban, in the South African province of Kwazulu Natal.
Durban itself has a fascinating history, much like the rest of South Africa. When you first land in Durban, you will feel as though you have landed in India, Singapore or somewhere else in Asia which has a significant Indian population. In fact, most of South Africa’s Indian population is concentrated in Durban.
It, therefore, does not come as a surprise that many popular dishes from Durban have a distinct Indian twist to them, and the curries are not to be overlooked.
But what is it that sets apart a Durban curry from any other curry? This is a good question and what we would conclude is the following.
Heat
Durban curries are said to be much hotter than other curries and will often incorporate the use of hot and spicy cayenne pepper, or a very hot spice known as curry masala, which is different from store bought curry powder.
Red Color
The use of tomatoes, tomato puree or concentrate in Durban curries is another feature which sets it apart. This will normally result in its lovely red color. Some people opt to add paprika to the dish, however sticking with the tomatoes, you could not go wrong.
Sweet Spices
You will often find the use of garam masala in Durban curries is very popular. But the real sweet spices you are trying to get at are either cinnamon, cardamom or cloves, or a combination of all three spices.
As for us, we love using whole cinnamon sticks as it gives that hint of sweetness as well as adds a rustic touch to the dish. We also find that we tend to use different combinations of the three sweet spices depending on what kind of meat we are using. For instance, we are more likely to use cloves in a lamb or goat (mutton) curry as we believe these ingredients were made for each other.
Curry Leaves
You will not find a Durban curry recipe which has not incorporated curry leaves into the dish, either by adding the leaves whole, or grinding them along with other curry masala spices when creating a homemade spice blend.
You can, therefore, achieve creating a Durban curry with as many spice combinations as you please, but so long as you have the above four elements incorporated within your recipe, you are bound to achieve something close to the authentic Durban Curry.
Getting it done:
In a heavy based pan, melt the butter in the vegetable oil, then add the spices to temper and become fragrant. Be careful not to sear or burn the spices, but allow the gentle heat to do its work for about a minute.
Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry until softened. This should take about 3 minutes on a medium heat.
Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken pieces. Chicken on the bone such a thighs, drumsticks or wings work best with this recipe as the bones enrich the flavor and the chicken remains moist. Allow the meat to brown and coat the pieces in the onions and spices very well.
After about 5 minutes, add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes and give the pot a good stir.
Throw in the diced potatoes, swede, chicken stock, and curry leaves. Check for seasoning as it may require a pinch or two of salt at this stage if necessary, then allow to simmer for about 30 minutes on a low to medium heat.
*Care should be taken to ensure there is enough heat to cook to potatoes through. You will notice they absorb much of the water and become fluffy when ready.
When ready, garnish with the fresh coriander leaves and serve on a bed of basmati rice and a sambal on the side.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder (or garam masala)
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of whole cumin
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 to 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 inch of fresh ginger (grated)
- 4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
- 8 pieces of chicken (1 kg, preferably thighs and drumsticks or wings)
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- 2 potatoes (diced into half-inch cubes)
- Optional: 1 small rutabaga (swede)
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
Getting it done:
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, Sriracha and pepper, to taste.
- Thread salmon, pineapple, red onion and zucchini onto skewers. Brush soy sauce mixture onto the skewers and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Add kabobs to grill, reserving the marinade, and cook, turning occasionally, until salmon is opaque throughout and vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add reserved marinade to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5-6 minutes.
- Serve kabobs immediately with reserved marinade, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
About the Recipe
By Freda Muyambo
You may wonder why a Durban curry is known as a Durban curry and why this is so important.
The answer is simple. It is thought by many a curry enthusiast that the best curries in the entire world come from the city of Durban, in the South African province of Kwazulu Natal.
Durban itself has a fascinating history, much like the rest of South Africa. When you first land in Durban, you will feel as though you have landed in India, Singapore or somewhere else in Asia which has a significant Indian population. In fact, most of South Africa’s Indian population is concentrated in Durban.
It, therefore, does not come as a surprise that many popular dishes from Durban have a distinct Indian twist to them, and the curries are not to be overlooked.
But what is it that sets apart a Durban curry from any other curry? This is a good question and what we would conclude is the following.
Heat
Durban curries are said to be much hotter than other curries and will often incorporate the use of hot and spicy cayenne pepper, or a very hot spice known as curry masala, which is different from store bought curry powder.
Red Color
The use of tomatoes, tomato puree or concentrate in Durban curries is another feature which sets it apart. This will normally result in its lovely red color. Some people opt to add paprika to the dish, however sticking with the tomatoes, you could not go wrong.
Sweet Spices
You will often find the use of garam masala in Durban curries is very popular. But the real sweet spices you are trying to get at are either cinnamon, cardamom or cloves, or a combination of all three spices.
As for us, we love using whole cinnamon sticks as it gives that hint of sweetness as well as adds a rustic touch to the dish. We also find that we tend to use different combinations of the three sweet spices depending on what kind of meat we are using. For instance, we are more likely to use cloves in a lamb or goat (mutton) curry as we believe these ingredients were made for each other.
Curry Leaves
You will not find a Durban curry recipe which has not incorporated curry leaves into the dish, either by adding the leaves whole, or grinding them along with other curry masala spices when creating a homemade spice blend.
You can, therefore, achieve creating a Durban curry with as many spice combinations as you please, but so long as you have the above four elements incorporated within your recipe, you are bound to achieve something close to the authentic Durban Curry.
Nutritional Info
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