Our Durban Curry Recipe
A classic Durban Curry is unlike any curry you've experienced before. 14 carefully selected herbs and spices create a flavour profile like no other. The boldness of a Durban Curry is something hard to forget. Flavours like Star Anise, Fenugreek, Cinnamon and Cardamom layed amongst a rich Garam Masala pack a huge punch in a balanced and fragrant way.
The colours deepen and the flavours intensify as you slowly simmer your curry down to a perfect consistency. The aromas find their way slowly around the neighbourhood and suddenly all your neighbours know you're having a curry night. My favourite memories are walking in the front door and being greeted with the aroma of my dads Durban Curry. One of the many comforts of 'home'. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for our very own recipe or read ahead for more information on Spiced Up Durban Curry.
I started helping my dad make his Durban Curry when I was just 5 years old. I have a memory of my dad teaching me how to 'simmer' and 'reduce' properly, explaining that the process takes patiences and must be done with love. I was a tiny tot that would have to sit ON the kitchen bench and peel the potatoes. I remember after a while I asked my dad if I could ever advance from peeling the potatoes, he made it very clear that you need to learn all the hard jobs first before starting all the fun stuff. I wasn't as enthusiastic on this rule and just wanted to learn everything myself.
Over the years we deepened our understanding of home cooking, bonding over flavours and exciting recipes. My dad would show me his process, and I'd come back to him a few weeks later with an even better one and go, "Taste this! It's better than yours!" and whilst he doesn't always agree, we have a healthy level of competition and I know he is so proud of me when I take his creations and put my own spin on it.
After all, thats what family recipes and cooking is all about. Taking something that has been a staple and reinventing it to a higher standard. I am a firm believer in innovation and whilst I will always honour and respect where our family recipes have come from and actively protect them, I think it's equally important to reinvent them and rediscover their full potential. The world of food is abundant with creativity and pushing the boundaries of flavour is something I love to do.
When we were thinking of how we could make a good curry less time consuming and cumbersome for the average home cook, we looked at what the hardest parts of making a curry were, and how we could make it easier and quicker without compromising the flavours and filling our blends with nasty ingredients. So we spent time developing a full encompassing spice blend with everything you need in one bag, already blended to perfection. We wanted our blend to be different and contain no nasties or fillers, so while the contents of our bag is of the utmost importance, it's what we DON'T put in that's equally important(NO Flours, Fillers, Sugars, Flavours, Colours, Preservatives). That's the Spiced Up difference.
Our Durban Curry Recipe
Our Durban Curry Blend has all the herbs and spices you need to create an outrageous curry, right down to the locally sourced Curry Leaves. Meaning no weighing out individual spices or trying to make your own garam masala.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients
1 Bag of Durban Curry Blend - choose between Mild, Medium, Hot or Extra Hot.
1 Large Diced Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 cm Knob of Ginger
1 Bunch Coriander Stalks & Stems
3 Tbsp oil of choice. We recommend Vegetable oil
1 kg Protein of choice - diced into bite sized pieces. We recommend Lamb or Chicken on the bone but any cut will be fine.
4-6 Potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters. (I usually add a few more because they are just so good)
1 tin of Butter Beans
1 tin of Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
700ml -1L water or Stock
Method
Wash and prepare all ingredients.
Place a large pot on medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, ginger & coriander stalks and tin of tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have a blender, finely dice everything.
Once large pot is hot, add oil and add whole bag of Spiced Up
Stir until aromatic and deep in colour.
Add 1 bag of Spiced Up & fry until aromatic. (about 1 minute)
Add tomato paste and combine with Spiced Up
Add onion, garlic, coriander, and tomatoes and fry until paste has formed.
Add protein & seal (frying slightly)
Add potatoes
Add stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add tin of butter beans 20 minutes before completion (they can overcook)
Simmer on low heat for 4-6 hours. Stirring occasionally and adding water if needed. The gravy should be thick and rich in colour and flavour. If it is still watery, keep simmering. If you need more gravy, add more stock/water. You can not rush this curry. Try our "Butter Chicken" recipe for a quick and easy curry.
Let us know how you go! We love to see all of your Spiced Up creations and it makes us so incredibly happy to hear you've enjoyed a Spiced Up meal. Tag us on facebook or Instagram @spicedup.shop.