Curried mince for Vetkoek
If you're craving for a proper vetkoek with curried mince, or a 'curry bunny', you're in for a treat! This curried beef mince recipe is also very versatile. While its primary purpose is to elevate your vetkoek experience, it can also moonlight as the star in South African curry and rice, as a savoury pancake filling or as a topping on toast.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 533kcal
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil for frying
- 150 grams onion, diced - or one large onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced - or garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 60 milliliter boiling water - or four tablespoons
- 1 beef stock cube - like Oxo
- 125 milliliter full-fat coconut milk
- 500 grams beef mince
- 2 tablespoons fruity chutney or apricot jam - like mango, peach or apricot chutney
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250 milliliter frozen mixed vegetables - small veg like cubed carrot, peas, corn etc
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
- few grinds black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Instructions
Prepping
- Chop the onion into small chunks.150 grams onion, diced
- Dissolve the beef stock cube in the boiled water. Set aside.1 beef stock cube, 60 milliliter boiling water
Making the curried mince
- Pour the oil into a medium-sized saucepan and heat it over medium heat.2 tablespoons oil for frying
- Fry the onions over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, turmeric powder, curry powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and allspice to the onions. Fry the spices with the onions for 2 minutes so their flavours can develop. Keep stirring the mixture throughout to prevent burning.1 teaspoon garlic, minced, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon mild curry powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon allspice
- Add the beef stock along with the coconut milk to the spicy onion mixture. Stir together and cook for 3-4 minutes.125 milliliter full-fat coconut milk
- Add the mince. Break it up with a fork and fry it with the onion mixture until the mince browns, stirring throughout. This should take about 6 minutes.500 grams beef mince
- Add the chutney (or apricot jam), tomato paste, frozen vegetables, salt, pepper and sugar to the cooked mince.2 tablespoons fruity chutney or apricot jam, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 250 milliliter frozen mixed vegetables, 1 teaspoon salt, few grinds black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Stir everything together and cook uncovered for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked (but still have a bite) and the liquid has reduced. Stir frequently and monitor the liquid level.
- Serve hot in a vetkoek or with rice.
Notes
Bloom the spices
The process of frying the spices together with the onions in the hot oil is called 'blooming'. It's a crucial step that releases the flavours from the spices, so be sure not to skip it. Your taste buds will thank you!Watch the water
Be cautious about adding extra water at the beginning. The mince and veggies will release their own liquids as they cook. Adding too much water early on might result in a runny curry. We don't usually add any additional water to our curry. Just make sure you keep stirring throughout the cooking process to keep re-distributing the liquid that's already there and prevent burning.Pan size matters
Choose the right-sized pan. Using a pan with too much surface area for the quantity of ingredients can cause the curry to cook too quickly, leading to excessive liquid loss and the mince cooking dry too quickly, or even burning.Frozen is fine
No need to defrost the veggies! You can add them straight from the freezer. They'll cook perfectly in the curry.Don't walk away from the curry
Stir frequently while cooking to prevent burning, especially since we're cooking without a lid on the saucepan.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1011mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2582IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 5mg