South African cooking has a rich heritage of various traditional styles, one of the spiciest (and tastiest) being the Malay tradition, introduced to South Africa by the Muslim slaves who were brought from the Dutch East Indies. A perfect bredie (or stew, if you like) is a subtle combination of flavours that do well with resting overnight and being reheated the next day. Tomato bredie is one of the most traditional of bredies, together with waterblommetjiebredie (= literally “water flower”), made with indigenous water weed flowers. Bredies can be made with green beans or even pumpkin. They are delicious and are best made with mutton or lamb, usually fat rib meat. Using a cast iron pot is ideal, and the secret lies in not overspicing so that no single ingredient is dominant.
Tomato bredie
Ingredients for four people:
750 g fat mutton, cut into ¾ inch squares
2 tablespoons flour
2 onions, peeled & sliced
1 leek, sliced in ½ inch rounds
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ inch fresh ginger, peeled & minced
2 or 3 cardamom seeds
2 or 3 coriander seeds
4 or 5 peppercorns (or more if you like)
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or ½ dried but fresh is better)
½ teaspoon fresh marjoram (or ¼ dried)
½ - 1 chilli (or more if you like it hot), green or red, seeded & finely chopped
4 or 5 large ripe tomatoes, skinned (optional) and cut into pieces (not too finely)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fruit chutney
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 large potato, peeled and cut into small pieces (optional)
Dry white wine (or water if you are a boring cook)
Trim the meat of excess fat, and render the fat in the pot until you have a sufficient quantity to brown the meat. Dust the meat with the flour and brown a few pieces at a time. Return meat to the pot together with the onions and leek. Stir until onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, and cook for two or three minutes more, stirring all the time. If the mixture is too dry, add wine sparingly. The secret of the bredie is not to add too much liquid.
Add all the other herbs and spices, leaving the seasoning, chutney, potato and the wine (which is used only to keep the meat moist if necessary, and to keep the cook from dehydrating). Cover and cook gently over medium heat (or lower if you use a cast iron pot) or in 160° oven, shaking frequently to prevent sticking. Cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours. Add the chutney and sugar, and allow the liquid to reduce and cook until the meat is tender, usually another hour (depending on the quality of the meat). Use the potato only if the gravy requires thickening at the end (or if you prefer, use it anyway).
Skim off any excess fat before serving (or make the dish a day in advance and refrigerate, making it very easy to scoop the fat off). You can also add some finely cut sorrel (or a generous squeeze of lemon juice, or even dry white wine) ten minutes before serving. Serve with basmati rice (cooked with two or three cardamom seeds) and garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves. Enjoy with very cold dry, white wine and a fresh salad.
(Hint: Make double the recipe. It will not go to waste.)