Tomato bredie

The Cape's definitive comfort dish: bone-in lamb simmered for hours with ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic and sugar until the tomatoes collapse to a jammy, brick-red sauce around fork-tender meat: the slow-cooked stew that is the quintessential dish of the Cape Malay kitchen

Origin: Cape Town, South Africa

From the journey of Tomato.

Bredie is the Cape's word for stew; from the Malay word 'bredi', referring to a preparation of meat slow-cooked with vegetables until entirely amalgamated. The Cape Malay community of Cape Town, descended from slaves, political exiles and free workers brought by the Dutch East India Company from Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Madagascar between 1658 and the late 18th century; developed a distinctive cuisine that blended the spice traditions of the East with the local produce of the Cape. The tomato bredie is the most beloved of all Cape stews, surpassing even the waterblommetjie bredie (made with aquatic flowers) that is more historically documented. The technique is distinctive: the lamb; always bone-in (neck, ribs or shoulder) for the gelatine and flavour the bones provide; is browned, then combined with large quantities of tomatoes and onions and a small amount of water, then simmered, covered, over low heat for 2–3 hours. The long cooking collapses the tomatoes entirely into the sauce, the collagen from the bones enriches it, and the sugar added during cooking balances the tomato's acidity and promotes caramelisation. When finished, the sauce is thick, jammy, deeply red and sweet-sour, coating the tender lamb in a way that is simultaneously simple and extraordinary. Tomato bredie is served over white rice: the Cape Malay table invariably features white rice.

Ingredients

Meat

1.2 kg bone-in lamb neck or shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces (ask the butcher)
3 tbsp neutral oil or dripping

Base

2 large onions, finely sliced into half-moons
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 cm fresh ginger, finely grated

Spices

1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground coriander
0.5 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Tomatoes

1 kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 2 x 400g cans whole tomatoes, broken up)
1 tbsp tomato paste

Seasoning

1.5 tbsp sugar (brown sugar preferred)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or mild vinegar (to taste at end)

Optional

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (added last 40 minutes, optional)

Method

Season the lamb pieces generously with salt. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in batches, do not crowd the pan, until deeply browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the same pot (with the lamb drippings). Cook slowly for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 2 more minutes.
Add all the whole and ground spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, coriander, turmeric). Stir and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and fry 1 more minute.
Return the browned lamb to the pot. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar. Stir everything together thoroughly. Bring to a simmer.
Cover tightly and cook over the lowest possible heat for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 20–30 minutes and checking the liquid level. Add a small splash of water only if absolutely necessary; the tomatoes should provide sufficient liquid. The stew should simmer very gently, not boil.
If adding potatoes: stir them in after 1 hour 30 minutes. Cover and continue cooking for a further 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is very thick and jammy.
Taste the finished bredie: it should be deeply savoury, sweet-acidic, fragrant with spice, and the tomatoes should be entirely amalgamated into a thick, brick-red sauce. Adjust: a splash of vinegar to brighten, more salt, more sugar. Serve over white rice.

Notes

Tomato bredie is unmistakably better the next day. The spices deepen, the sauce thickens further, and the lamb absorbs more flavour. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat gently. Skim any solidified fat from the surface before reheating; though the fat is flavoursome, too much makes the finished dish heavy.

The Gastrographer

Name: Tomato bredie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: South Africa
Ingredients: 1.2 kg bone-in lamb neck or shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces (ask the butcher); 3 tbsp neutral oil or dripping; 2 large onions, finely sliced into half-moons; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 2 cm fresh ginger, finely grated; 1 stick cinnamon; 3 whole cloves; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp ground coriander; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 2 x 400g cans whole tomatoes, broken up); 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1.5 tbsp sugar (brown sugar preferred); 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or mild vinegar (to taste at end); 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (added last 40 minutes, optional)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control