Ingredients
Olive oil or butter
2 onions, chopped or sliced
3 cloves garlic, ginger (equal to garlic in volume), chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 tot (15ml/g or 1 tbsp) masala, optional
1.5kg (3.3 lbs) lamb meat on the bone (if you’re using shanks, get one per person even though it might weigh slightly more)
Salt and pepper
1kg (2.2 lbs) tomatoes, chopped
500g potatoes (whole baby ones or peeled and quartered big ones)
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks, any other interesting vegetables on hand (green beans, baby marrow, mushrooms, peppers, sweet potato)
1 cup cream, optional fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme or origanum)
Method
Braai temperature: medium coals.
Place the pot on the fire and heat the olive oil or butter.
Add the onions, garlic, ginger
and celery, fry for 2 minutes. Add the masala.
As with all potjies, you can do this frying part on flames, then move the potjie and keep simmering
by placing a few coals underneath it.
Add the lamb, and brown on all sides.
If the pot is too warm and the meat is burning, add a few tots of wine or water.
Grind salt and pepper onto the meat; when the meat is browned, add the tomatoes.
Put the lid on and gently simmer for 1 hour.
Add the potatoes, carrots and other hard root vegetables.
Grind salt and pepper onto the top layer.
Don’t stir the pot, but gently ensure there’s enough liquid in the bottom and that it’s not burning.
Replace the lid and simmer for another hour.
Add the vegetables that take a short time
Replace the lid and simmer for another half an hour.
Remove the pot from the fire. Add cream and fresh herbs 5 minutes before serving with rice or fresh baguettes.
Tip: This recipe also works well with venison.
Simply add one cup of dried fruit to the pot.