Best Durban Lamb Curry
If you live in South Africa you would know there is a perception that only those that live in Durban can make the perfect Durban Lamb Curry. I beg to differ because I don’t live in Durban.
Best Durban Lamb Curry
I was raised in Durban so I hope that counts. However, my mum who still lives in Durban makes the Best Durban Lamb Curry. I try my best not to use too much oil in my cooking.
It’s something I take into account when cooking a lamb curry too. However, my 17-year-old thinks it’s the reason my Durban Lamb Curry is not authentic enough.
According to him I definitely should add more oil and more masala, that’s what takes the Durban Lamb Curry from good to great. Now that I don’t eat lamb anymore they can have all the oil they want…haha!
So here I was put to the test to replicate my mum’s Durban Lamb Curry and I think I have done pretty well, This lamb curry turned out perfect with it’s robust flavours and melt-in-your-mouth potatoes. I think I have finally passed the test.
Yes, don’t forget the only potatoes Indians use in their curries is Up-To-Date Potatoes. It is difficult to always find them in Johannesburg so I sometimes make do with whatever I can find.
Cooking a Durban Lamb Curry
The secret to making a great curry is to always cook your curry low and slow and of course, loads of love. Do not attempt cooking a curry on high heat and rushing the process, it will be a disaster.
It is also important to cook your spices for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. This allows the spices to infuse and it does take your curry to a whole new level, trust me on this.
South African Indian Cooking
South African Indian dishes are a little rustic compared to dishes cooked in India, we do not blend everything into a smooth paste. You would also notice that we refer to the sauce in our curries as the gravy.
This is somewhat confusing for those that don’t understand the South African Indian “lingo”. I think people are more familiar with seeing the gravy placed in a separate vessel on the side of the dish.
Great for Bunny Chows
Lamb Curry was my absolute favourite dish until I had to quit eating red meat, nothing beats a good Lamb Curry. This recipe can also be used in a “bunny chow”. If you don’t know what that is, let me explain.
It is a hollowed-out half or quarter loaf of bread filled with a curry of your choice and I think the Lamb Bunny Chow is one of the most popular bunny chows.
If you looking for a recipe that’s a little different, you can give the one from Spruce Eats a try.
You can also try some of my other lamb dishes:
Best Durban Lamb Curry
Ingredients
- 500 gram lamb on the bone is best
- 80 ml vegetable oil
- 1 onion cut in quarters and thinly sliced
- 2 x 3cm piece cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 black elachie/cardamom
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 sprig curry leaf
- 2 tspn ginger/garlic paste
- 2 tbsp masala
- 1/2 tspn tumeric
- 1 tspn garam masala
- 1/2 tspn ground fennel seeds/soomph
- 2 roma tomatoes blanched and grated
- 2 potatoes cut into medium sized cubes
- salt to taste
- few coriander leaves for garnishing (optional)
- 1 cup water see recipe notes
Instructions
- Heat oil, add cinnamon stick, black elachie, star aniseed and bay leaf. Fry for a few seconds until it is fragrant. Add onion and curry leaf.
- Once onion is translucent and slightly brown add the ginger/garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
- Add masala, turmeric, soomph and garam masala and fry for a further minute. It will form a nice thick paste. Add a few drops of water if required.
- Add the lamb and mix well. Keep the pot open and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. This is where the spices really get into the meat so do not skip this step. Add tomatoes, season with salt and cover and cook until sauce starts to thicken
- Add the potatoes to the meat and allow it to cook for 5 minutes, be careful not to let it burn. Add a cup of water. Here you can add less water if you do not want too much gravy and if you are using very soft cooking potatoes. Sometimes the potatoes cook quite fast and your gravy would not have thickened by then, leaving you with a watery curry. Turn the heat down to a low setting and allow your curry to cook until gravy is thick and potatoes are soft.
Thank you Lorraine for the best Durban curry recipe. My first curry and my guests enjoyed it.
Thank you so much Ndi. I’m so glad it turned out well for you and your guests enjoyed it 🙂
hi Lorraine thank you for your awesome recipes.
I am vegetarian and need to cook for my family your recipes are simple and easy to follow
Thank you so much for posting your Durban curry lamb. I am an expat from Pretoria and JHB …always looking for hood curry ..as I remembered when I was young, ..l live amongst the East Indian . Love the smell of the curry
Just bought some lamb and will be trying this over the weekend
I m oriental …I love the Roti ,samosa ,,,I’m now an 83 year old .still trying to cook whenever I can,have been afflicted wth arthritis.
You’re a lovely lady
Eileen ( IVE)
Thank you so much Eileen for taking the time to message me. I’m really happy that you are going to try my Lamb Curry recipe. I would love to hear how it turns out. Hope you are blessed with many more happy, healthy years 🙂
Hi there, I tried this out and it was Amazing!!!!
Thank you Zee! I am happy to hear that your curry turned out amazing. It’s one of my favorite dishes to cook:-)
Just made this now, all the way in New Zealand as I was missing a good Durban curry…it was so simple to make and absolutely delish! Thank you!
Thank you so much. Happy to hear that the recipe worked for you. Hope you safe in New Zealand:-)
Just made this Curry now for bunny chow, I like mine a little thicker, so I cooked the potatoes separately and added it when the tomoatoes had cooked out, adding the soft potatoes in the end, thickens the curry and lessens the cooking time. Was absolutely delish! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Taylor and you most welcome! Great to hear you found a method that works for you. Take Care:-)
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe
What masala did you use
Hi Lallie! Thank you so much. I used to buy the Rumbo Russi masala from Durban. However, I now make my own masala and that recipe is on my blog. Take Care:-)
Hi. Your recipe calls for masala AND garam masala – what is the difference? Thanks
Hi Kim! Here in South Africa we have a spice blend which we call a masala, it consists of a few different spices, cumin, coriander etc but always mixed with chilli powder. This is used as a base for almost all our curries. Garam masala is a stronger spice mix and usually used at the end of the cooking process. However, here in SA we add it in with our other spices at the beginning of the cooking process. If you do not have masala you can use chilli powder with the addition of the other spices mentioned. Garam masala can be found in Indian spice shops or you can google a recipe and make your own. Garam Masala simply enhances the flavour of the dish but it’s not an absolute must if you don’t have any. Hope this helps. I will post a recipe for garam masala soon.
Wow Lorraine!! Just wow!!
I’m a ex-Durbanite living in Australia and I made Bunny-Chows using this recipe for dinner tonight!
I could have been eating the best lamb bunny at Blue Lagoon…..this curry reminded of my childhood big time.I knew it was going to be special just smelling those spices cooking early on in the process!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with the world!!!!!
Thank you so much Gerard. I am really happy to hear that you could enjoy a taste of “home”. You are most welcome. Take Care:-)
Thank you for this delicious recipe, I added a can of butter beans and it was a hit!
Thank you so much Aliyah. Sounds yummy with the butter beans:-)
Lorainne your Durban Lamb Curry is the best recipe ever with flavours just as I remember when living in SA and missing in Australia. I’ve made this many times and my guests have always been very impressed returning for seconds and often a third plateful!
PS… love your stories and other recipes too.
Have now shared your website on Facebook for other expats wanting that all too familiar taste of Durban Curry – thank you x
Thank you so much Colleen and thank you for sharing my link. A friend sent me your kind message that you posted on the Facebook group. It meant a lot to me seeing I’ve had a few rough days. I so appreciate your kindness. Hope you enjoy all the other recipes too. Take Care and keep safe x
Lorraine, that was fantastic! We’re going to have to try some more of your recipes on here. What a classic. Thank you!
Thank you so much. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe:-)
Epic! Used your recipe and guidance to make a curry from some lamb knuckles I had. Result was unbelievable! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much. I am so happy to hear that the recipe was a success for you. Take Care:-)
Hi Lorraine
The masala you mention in the above recipe is that the same as your Homemade Durban Masala? Are the garam masala ground fennel and turmeric over and above that already in the masala. Thank you so much for taking the time to make these wonderful recipes available to the rest of us curry lovers.Keep up the good work
All the Best
Rob
New Zealand
Hi Rob! Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes the masala is the same as the Durban Masala on my blog. Garam Masala recipe is also on my blog, this is the link Garam Masala. A garam masala consists of a few different spices minus the chilli powder, it is usually sprinkled on the dish at the end of cooking but here in SA we just add it with our other spices. Hope this helps. Take Care:-)
Thank you for this beautiful recipe. My lamb curry was an absolute success!
Thank you Tenielle! I am so happy to hear that:-)
Can you not make it printable, so difficult to scroll up and down all the time with phone going black.
All my recipes are printable. There is a print button in the recipe card itself, at the top, just below the image. If you click on it you will be taken to a print version of the recipe. Hope this helps:-)
Another recipe tried with perfect outcome
Thank you so much Zuraida:-)
Hi Lorraine, thanks for this recipe it turned out amazing, how would I know how to increase the ingredients if I’m cooking for fourteen people?
Regards
Leonard
Email sent:-)
I am an Indian from Durban And still used this and found it amazing!!! Thank you
Thank you so much:-)
Hello Lorraine . I cooked this exact recipe today . My sister thoroughly enjoyed it. I will use this recipe all the time
Thank you so much Beverly. I am really happy to hear that:-)
So far smells truly amazing!
Thanks a lot Lorraine it tastes very good. From canada
Thank you so much Kabelo:-)
I cant wait to try this recipe! I live in the USA where lamb is not that popular. In looking at the pictures of the recipe, it appears that this could be lamb shank that has been cross cut. Am I correct? Personally I think the bone will add a lot of flavour to this dish!
Hi Lorraine
Great recipes here. Please tell me where I can find quality mutton in Johannesburg/pretoria?
Thank you. I have no idea to be honest. My hubby and I don’t eat red meat so I only buy it when I have guests or a small portion for my kids and it’s usually from Woolworths or Pick n Pay. We have a great Pick n Pay in our area where I usually get good quality lamb.
Thank you for sharing your recipe I’ll try to make it.
Thank you Duduzile. Hope you do get to try it:-)
Hi Lorraine! Love your recipes! It is my go to for everything when I want to cook.
If I want to cook for 8 people do I just double the recipe?
Kind regards
Hi Kri. I think it could work if you double the recipe. Although I normally use my discretion and don’t exactly double the spices.
Where can I find garam masala recipe and masala recipe? Your Durban recipe calls for both. Thank you!!!
Homemade Durban Masala
Garam Masala
These are the Links for the recipes:-)
Good combo spices, will do some cooking this weekend.
I’m sorry. I am dizzy from the amount of goodness that came from this curry. ???????? I thought, wow 11k reviews a d all 5 stars. A bit dramatic. My husband retorted it was just bots. But heeeelll naaawww was it bots. The curry was more delicious days later. I cannot even understand what happened here. I am still surprised at the experience. This is the best curry I have ever consumed and worse off it came from my own 2 hands. You need a Nobel peace prize ma’am. This is revolutionary work. This is God’s work you are doing. Thank you for sharing
Hi Siphu! Not sure if we’re referring to my recipe as I don’t have 11k reviews. But if you did use my recipe I will gladly accept your rave review:-)
Hi Lorraine, thanks so much for this awesome recipe! Quick question, we like our curries proper HOT, how would I increase the heat, would I do this by adding in extra masala or chilli powder from the beginning? Or can I do this halfway through the recipe, as sometimes it’s hot in the beginning but then the heat cooks away, so not too sure how to approach this, if you wouldn’t mind advising? Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Leandre! Apologies for the late reply. Usually you do want your spices to cook a little before adding other ingredients. However if you feel you need to add more for heat then add it towards the middle of the cooking process so it will still have time to cook a little. Otherwise it can have a very raw flavour. Another way to do it is maybe add extra masala/chilli powder with your other spices at the beginning and remove some of the paste and set it aside. If you feel you require it a little later then add it.Hope this helps:-)
Was really nice, thank you
Thank you:-)
Thanks for the great recipe!
Made today. Was so quick and easy to do.
Thank you Zuraida:-)
Thanks for sharing, this was so delicious!
Thank you for trying it:-)
Hi, I’m in Canada an was missing some (Chatsworth/)Durban curries. Thanks for the recipe! It is my favourite!
You’re welcome. Glad you could have a taste of home:-)
Thank you so much Lorraine, I have never been able to get my mutton/lamb curry to taste like a proper durban curry – despite putting the right ingredients, something is always just slightly off. This time I followed your recipe to a tee (and including rombo russi mixed masala) and it turned out perfectly! It was so tasty
Im so happy to hear that Manika. Sometimes it’s just a little twist in the technique that helps:-)
Hi Lorraine, I loved this recipe,I grew up in Durban but lived in East Lonfon most of my life before moving abroad.This really brought the taste of home .I miss masalas from home.No good ones here in Canada unfortunately,I wish there was a way to get good mutton masala here.Loved it.Thank you!.Melaney
Thank you so much Melaney. You don’t have to use masala, individual spices work just as well. Once you practice using them you will be amazed that you can cook without a blend of masala:-)
Made the lamb curry today. came out really good. love your recipes.
Thank you so much Zuraida:-)
I absolutely love your recipe. I have used several others before finding yours and they just never come out the way i want it to. But this one! Perfection every time. Thanks!!!!
I just love your recipes..
This is my go too option when I want to impress my guests. Always turns out perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Love all your recipes and my favorite’s are the Fish curry, crab curry and my wife LOVES your beans curry!!!
This lamb curry is really tasty as well, reminds me a lot of a proper Durban curry. Having moved to JHB its difficult finding one that tastes like home.
I just have one silly question though, how do you get the meat to be soft an tender? Does it need to be cooked for a while?
When I make this curry the gravy is amazing but my meat is always tough, any tips for me?
Love your recipes. This was Sunday lunch. Used the recipe with my pressure cooker. Came out perfect. Made this and the vanilla sponge cake for desert. Your recipes make cooking and baking easier and tasty. Thank you
I have made this lamb curry a few times now and every time I do, there’s not a lot of talking going on around the dinner table when it’s served. Thank you. I have missed flavours like this and its so great
Tried your recipe. It’s simple to make, no complications and delicious.
Even though I’ve been cooking durban style curry since a kid, I always look for variations or ways to perfect the recipe, especially when you cook by your senses and measure with your fingers. This recipe takes it to a whole new level. Thank you!
Hi Lorraine, I see in your reply to Kim (17/5/2020) you mention that your Masala is made up of cumin ,corriander, etc but always with chilli powder. Could you please enlarge on what the etc is.
This was a problem! :)) We ate it all! Soo delicious, thank you for the recipe.