Tags
cape malay, Chicken, curry, rainbow nation, South Africa, spices, stew
Spicy and fragrant, this curry will have you reaching for a second serving.
Cape Malay curries are usually not biting and strong, but rather an aromatic mixture of spices. Naturally this depends on the individual cooks, and the curry can be made much stronger by adding more chilli.
This recipe hails from the vibrant Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town.
The Bo-Kaap, which lies on the fringes of Cape Town’s city centre, is full of character and colourful houses (pink, orange, lime green and turquoise), many of which are national monuments and date back to the 1750s, with cobbled streets that rise up to meet the lower slopes of Signal Hill on which the suburb lies. There are always children playing in the streets and the haunting call of the muezzin will remind you of exotic destinations such as Istanbul and Cairo. The smell of spices that wafts through open doorways and comes rushing out at you as you walk past Atlas Trading, the local spice emporium, inspired this recipe. A lively suburb, the Bo-Kaap’s inhabitants are a blend of cultures that descend from slaves imported by the Dutch in the 1700s. They came from Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Indonesian Archipelago. Not only were these people incorrectly branded as ‘Cape Malays’ but the Bo-Kaap became known, and remains so today, as the Malay Quarter. There is a strong Muslim influence – more than 90% of the people who live here are Muslim – as many of the early slaves were Muslim scholars and religious leaders, as well as craftsmen and artisans. This is a throwback from the apartheid era when the Bo-Kaap was declared an exclusively Cape Muslim residential area, and people of other religions and ethnicity were forced to leave.
Serve this curry with rice and a variety of sambals and atjars.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon hot chilli flakes
2 teaspoons fennel, ground (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
10 cardamon pods (or 2 teaspoons powdered cardamon)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon garam masala
410 g / 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon tomato paste
8 chicken portions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Water, 1/2 cup
Preparation:
Put all the spices in a mortar & pestle and mash them together
Remove the cardamon pod husks and discard
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat
Add the onion and sauté until soft and golden
Add the garlic and all the spices and sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavours
Stir in the tomatoes and the tomato paste
Place the chicken portions in the pan
Add water
Cover and allow to simmer for 45 to 60 minutes
Season to taste
Serve with basmati rice or yellow rice
Enjoy!
lapetitepaniere said:
It looks very aromatic and tasty! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
It is. The smell alone makes me hungry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lynne hoareau said:
This is for dinner tonight 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
Oh goody! I hope you enjoy it. We had it as leftovers last night and it is just as good the second day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lynne hoareau said:
I am sure we will love it. Leftovers are often even better the next day with curry 🙂 Looking forward to it 🙂
LikeLike
Martin @ The Why Chef said:
Love this type of deep rich spice mix, cooked long and slow with chicken thighs! Looking forward to cooking this 🙂
LikeLike
Nadia said:
I love all things spicy and aromatic and this is as good as it gets.
LikeLike
Martin @ The Why Chef said:
Made this tonight Nadia! Thought I’d report back and say how excellent it was! Will definitely be making it again very soon! 🙂
LikeLike
Nadia said:
Cool! Thanks so much for reporting back. It means a lot to me.
LikeLike
Jhuls said:
Sounds so flavorful and delicious! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
It is, thank you.
LikeLike
coteetcampagne said:
Nadia, I love your recipes and will be trying the gluten free ones (Trev’s a coeliac) in France as soon as I have a kitchen!
Can I also take this opportunity to say that I really appreciate your ongoing support of my blog- particularly on days like this when my post is not about pretty French things or romantic renovation stories. I think I may have alienated a few folk today!
It’s just not roses all the way for some of us
LikeLike
Nadia said:
Merci beaucoup. Life is not all happy things always but that is what makes us appreciate the great days more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jsteinceo@aol.com said:
Hi Nadia, My Daughter, Pam wants to sign on to your blog but she is having trouble. Can you contact her/ Jan
LikeLike
Jsteinceo@aol.com said:
Pam’s email is _ookla99@aol.com_ (mailto:ookla99@aol.com) . Thanks, Jan
LikeLike
Nadia said:
Sure, will do.
LikeLike
Nadia said:
Sent her an email
LikeLike
cupcakecache said:
That looks fantastic. Thanks for the pictures. Looks like an interesting place to visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
It is a wonderful and beautiful country.
LikeLike
cupcakecache said:
This summer I am focusing on reading the novels of Rob Marsh who is situated in Africa. Very interesting. Right now, I am finishing “Beasts of Prey.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
I read Beasts of Prey a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
cupcakecache said:
I just ordered Strange Tales from South Africa. I have to order his books …cannot find them at the local library in Fla.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
That is a good one. Enjoy it!
LikeLike
White House Red Door said:
This looks amazing… I can practically smell it! Great pictures too, I love the contrast of the colorful homes against the grey mountain in the back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
It does make for a pretty picture, doesn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
camparigirl said:
Absolutely loved Bo Kapp!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
Quite an amazing place and luckily still so today.
LikeLike
all-TIM-ate said:
Absolutely love that part of SA and their vegetarian food is just as good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
One of my favourite cuisines.
LikeLiked by 1 person
cookinginsens said:
Delicious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nadia said:
Merci
LikeLike