Vegan Durban Curry
I lived very briefly in Cape Town back in 2005. While there, I found that South African cuisine encompasses a broad spectrum of ingredients, flavours, and cultural influences. Additionally, the markets there had the widest variety of fresh produce, spices, and herbs I have ever encountered.
Durban curry is a wonderful dish from the Eastern Cape (Durban is a city on the other side of the country from Cape Town), which I had been told includes lamb and is served in a bread bowl, though I had seen most restaurants use prawns or chicken and serve the curry over rice. The sauce itself usually has butter or ghee in it. Compared to traditional Asian Indian curries, South Africa’s Durban curry is spicy but has stronger ginger and lime tones, while the curry flavor itself enhances other flavors and is not overpowering.
During my time in South Africa, I was an on-again/off-again vegan. Durban curry was something I remember smelling, seeing, and salivating over during a trip around the country’s coast, but I never actually tasted it while in South Africa. It wasn’t until several years later, as farmer’s markets and online food imports both became more common, that I had the time and ingredients readily available again for me to attempt to convert an authentic Durban curry recipe I had into a vegan dish with my own personal touches. The recipe below is what I came up with - red lentils and sliced peaches, cooked in a fragrant and spicy Durban curry sauce.
Practice makes perfect with this dish - trust me, you’ll need to make it a few times before you’ll have it perfect. Don’t get frustrated if it’s not fantastic on the first go … keep trying, and enjoy!
VEGAN RED-LENTIL DURBAN CURRY WITH PEACHES (Serves 4-6)
LEGUMES
4 cups vegetable stock
¾ lbs red lentils
¼ lbs split yellow peas
SAUCE
3 Tbsp coconut oil (safflower oil or canola oil can be used to substitute)
2 medium white or sweet yellow onions, diced
2 medium/small tomatoes, chopped
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
3 small African bird’s eye chili peppers (also known as piri piri or peri peri), minced
¼ cup vegetable stock (or more, as desired)
1½ Tbsp garam masala
¾ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp paprika
1 tsp ground anise
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp fennel seed
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
3 bay leaves
1½ tsp cane sugar
FINISHING TOUCHES
4 medium fresh peaches, peeled and sliced, or 1 16-oz can of peach slices in light syrup (drained)
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (not concentrate!)
1 cup light coconut milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 sprig curry leaves (approximately 6 leaves on the sprig) or 1 ½ tbsp curry powder
Part the First: LEGUMES
1. Rinse the yellow split peas and red lentils thoroughly using a fine mesh colander, until the water running through the legumes runs clear.
2. Place the yellow split peas and red lentils in a 4-quart soup pot and add 4 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Once boiling for one or two minutes, reduce heat to lowest setting and leave to simmer, until nearly all stock is absorbed.
Part the Second: SAUCE
1. While waiting for the legumes to boil, in a large, deep skillet with high sides, sauté the diced onions in the oil, until the onions begin to soften and turn slightly brown.
2. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, ground pepper, paprika, anise, cardamom, fennel, cayenne, cilantro, bay leaves, and sugar. Cook for a few minutes over low heat.
3. Just as the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the skillet, increase the temperature to medium-low heat.
4. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, and chilies. Slowly increase the temperature to medium heat, stirring well for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn opaque.
Part the Third: FINISHING TOUCHES
1. Drain any remaining liquid from legumes and return legumes to pot.
2. Add the spices mixture to the legumes pot. Slowly stir in the peaches, lime juice, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves (or powder). Add any remaining vegetable stock slowly, checking consistency as it is stirred in. (Never let the mixture get watery.)
3. Cover and simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture is quite fragrant and thick. Stir well again.
4. Remove the curry leaves and/or bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired – add more spices to round out the heat, or add more lime juice/coconut milk, a few tablespoons at a time and stirring it in, to tone down the heat and thin out the mixture. Beware of adding too much liquid, as that will ruin the recipe.
Serve the curry ladled over cooked quinoa or brown rice. Alternately, serve the curry alone in a bowl, using Naan bread to scoop out the curry. Cilantro or mint leaves can be used for garnish, if desired.
PS: I would ask anyone wishing to share this recipe or copy it, to please credit me (Ciera Waring) for it. If reposted online, please include a link to this blog in addition to my name. Thank you! :)
