South African Potjiekos Recipe
Potjiekos is a South African dish made by layering meat, vegetables, starches (such as potatoes, rice, or pasta), and sauce in the pot.
It is never stirred during cooking because the dish cooks slowly in order to let the steam build up. Making potjiekos is usually a social activity, since the dish is typically cooked from three to six hours.
It is prepared in small pots, hence the name. The dish dates back to the 1800s, but it is still widely consumed today.
TIPS FOR THE BEST POTJIEKOS
Potjiekos is traditionally served with steamed rice or mielepap, a type of South African maize porridge.
Don’t stir the potjiekos – not stirring is essential to making the perfect potjiekos
If you don’t want to use wine, pomegranate juice, stock, grape juice, or non-alcoholic wine are great substitutes.
Let your stew cook at a gentle simmer rather than boiling it. The key to delicious potjiekos is to let it slow cook.
If you don’t want to use lamb, beef or game meat are delicious substitutes.
Other vegetables you can add to your potjiekos include cabbage, cauliflower, and pumpkin.
HOW TO STORE POTJIEKOS
Transfer cooled potjiekos to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Frozen potjiekos will keep for up to 2 months.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoon knob of butter or oil
1 chilli pepper fresh
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
500g pack of fresh mushroom whole
1kg stewing beef bone on and cut in chunks
500mg sugar beans, red kidney beans, white kidney beans, haricot beans, black-eyed beans pre-soaked overnight
4 carrots, and other seasonal vegetables of your choice roughly chopped
12 baby potatoes
2 tins sweet corn (mealies) creamed
500ml beef stock
50 mixed herbs
salt
pepper
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
HOW TO PREPARE SOUTH AFRICAN POTJIEKOS RECIPE
Heat oil in a pot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and saute until browned. Take the lamb out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Put the onions and mushrooms in the pot with flavoured salt and fry them for 8 minutes, or until they soften.
Add chili and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Place the meat back in the pot, then pour in the wine and just enough beef stock to cover the meat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in the carrots and potatoes and simmer for 30 more minutes.
Add beans, sweet corn, 500 ml beef stock, 50 ml mixed herbs
Stir the 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp curry powder into the 1/4 cup milk, then add the spiced milk to the Dutch oven. (Optional)
Let the mixture come up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
HERE ARE SOME SOUTH AFRICAN RECIPES
South African Potjiekos Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon knob of butter or oil
- 1 chilli pepper fresh
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 500 g pack of fresh mushroom whole
- 1 kg stewing beef bone on and cut in chunks
- 500 mg sugar beans red kidney beans, white kidney beans, haricot beans, black-eyed beans pre-soaked overnight
- 4 carrots and other seasonal vegetables of your choice roughly chopped
- 12 baby potatoes
- 2 tins sweet corn mealies creamed
- 500 ml beef stock
- 50 mixed herbs
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and saute until browned. Take the lamb out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Put the onions and mushrooms in the pot with flavoured salt and fry them for 8 minutes, or until they soften.
- Add chili and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Place the meat back in the pot, then pour in the wine and just enough beef stock to cover the meat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Stir in the carrots and potatoes and simmer for 30 more minutes.
- Add beans, sweet corn, 500 ml beef stock, 50 ml mixed herbs
- Stir the 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp curry powder into the 1/4 cup milk, then add the spiced milk to the Dutch oven. (Optional)
- Let the mixture come up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Serve warm.