Recipe for South-African potjiekos

This is not what I'm searching for. Written on 01-02-2011 by miriamamukela

Potjiekos (pronounce poikie-kos) is a typical South-African stew. Traditionally this stew is made in a potjie, a heavy cast iron pot, on an open fire but in a suitable pan you can prepare this on a stove as well. The recipe comes originally from the South-African Boeren.

I use the below recipe myself but there are lots of varieties possible. You can make it to your own taste by using different herbs or you can use other meat, chicken or even fish. Some of the vegetables may be hard to get outside South-Africa but feel free to experiment with different vegetables.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

400 gram meat for stew (in pieces)
4 large onions (chopped)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
200 ml cooking oil (sunflower oil or oliveoil)
20 ml medium curry powder
1 ml ground coriander
2.5 ml cumin
8 bay leaves
4 potatoes (cut into pieces)
various vegetables like baby marrows, butternut (sort of pumpkin), baby corn, yellow and green pettypans (baby pumpkins)
4 tomatoes (cut into pieces)
salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat the sunflower oil or olive oil in the pan. Chop the onion and fry it in the oil. Crush the clove of garlic and add to the onion. Fry until the onion is brown. Now add the curry powder, coriander, cumin and bay leaves and stir well. Cut the stewing meat in pieces and add to the onion and herbs, fry until the meat is brown.

When the meat is done peel and cut the potatoes in pieces and add on top of the meat. Clean the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Mix the pieces of vegetables and add on top of the potatoes. Top of with the pieces of tomato. Do not stir anymore after adding the potatoes.

Put some salt and pepper on and leave to simmer for 2 to 3 hours on low heat. When all the vegetables are soft the potjie is ready. Just before serving stir once to mix the ingredients and add spices to taste.