I’m often asked what South African food is like and it’s always hard to come up with a concise answer, that’s easy for outsiders to understand. Like its history, South African food is complicated. It’s a mix of different cultures, informed by history and shaped by circumstance.
From Zulu to Portuguese dishes, Cape Malay to Xhosan kitchens, South African food finds its strength in its diversity.
And so this week’s recipe was chosen because it’s quintessential and uniquely South African. Close to my heart, this recipe was a gift from my cousin Michelle, who graciously invited me into her kitchen and patiently taught me how to make it.
Specifically, a Durban Tamil way of cooking, it is different from the predominantly Northern Indian style of curry we find in Canada. With roots back to the 1860s, Durban curry is its own thing. It’s a progression of spices and techniques built over the years of migration and settlement on the east coast of South Africa. It has moved and shifted with the times, different from its roots, less creamy and redder and hotter, with more tomatoes and more chillies.
When Michelle offered to show me how to cook one of her curries, I felt like I was being brought into her family. Originally taught to her by her Gran, Mom and aunties, Michelle’s version is distinctly hers but influenced by her family.
Serves: 4-6
Cooks in: Up to an hour-ish
INGREDIENTS
Curry Ingredients
½ cup veggie oil
Whole chicken cut into sections or any bone-in chicken thigh or leg pieces
A small handful of dried curry leaves
1 large onion sliced thinly (more onion = more gravy)
A few star anise (whole)
3 tbsp pure chilli powder
½ tbsp Tumeric
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp coriander seed (dhania seeds in SA)
3 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (chop both until a fine paste)
Pinch of ground fennel seed
Pinch of ground mustard seed
Pinch of ground cumin seed
Salt to taste
Bunch of chopped cilantro
3-4 Roma or Jam tomatoes - grated
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Roti Ingredients
700g cake flour (around 3 cups of flour)
½ cup of veggie oil
half cup flour for dusting the work surface
250 ml hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
Curry Instructions
Get all your spices ready. Grind the fennel, mustard, and cumin seed together in a mortar and pestle and set aside.
Pour veggie oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, enough to cover and leave on high heat.
Chuck in curry leaves, and sizzle till fragrant.
Add sliced onions in the hot oil.
Add whole star anise.
Stir and fry until browned, then take off heat.
Add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander seed, chicken curry spice, garlic and ginger. Stir and make a paste,
Fry this paste until fragrant on medium heat.
Add the chicken.
Add fennel, mustard seed, cumin, and a pinch of salt.
Mix to make sure chicken is covered in spices. Let sit on medium heat with the lid on until chicken juices boil-off.
Add potatoes and some water, boil with the lid on for a few minutes. You can tell the potatoes are cooked when the edges are translucent.
Stir in diced cilantro and grated tomato once potatoes are cooked. (Only add in the tomatoes at the end as they’ll make the meat tough)
Salt to taste and let sit while you make the roti.
Roti Instructions
Make sure your room temp is warm. If the kitchen is cold the dough won’t work its magic.
Dump cake flour in a glass bowl.
Add 10 tbsp of veggie oil and crumble together with your hands until silky (no lumps).
Make holes in the flour pile and then pour boiling water to it.
With a wooden spoon, slowly form a dough ball that is soft but not sticky.
Poke holes in the dough and pour a couple more tbsp of oil.
Incorporate everything with your hands and cover with a dish towel and let it rest for 5 min.
Divide dough into golf ball-sized chunks. Roll into snakes and then twist into your palm to form a roti disk. Flatten this disk with your palms, dip in flour and then roll out into round flat disks.
Once all roti has been rolled out, place each in a hot dry pan. (Make sure flour is dusted off)
Flip three times, and on every flip, blot the roti with oil. (Michelle uses a paper towel soaked in veggie oil to blot)
Once ready place in dish towel or container that can keep them warm.
*This recipe was shared with permission from Michelle Torr
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