DINNER IN 150 MINUTES
PANTRY-FRIENDLY
1
Step 1
Brown the lamb in the oil in a heavy pot, in batches, and lift it out.
DINNER IN 150 MINUTES
PANTRY-FRIENDLY
LAMB · DINNER
Denningvleis
Cape Malay denningvleis: lamb slow-cooked with onions, bay leaves and allspice, finished sweet and sour with tamarind. Serves 6.
Total time150 min
YieldServes 6
DietNo specific diet
Shopping14 ingredients
DifficultyEasy
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Check ingredients as you gather them, then work through 4 calm, clearly numbered steps.
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Ingredients
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Method
4 steps · about 150 minutes total
2
Step 2
Fry the onions in the same pot for ten minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, allspice, cloves and nutmeg and cook for one minute.
3
Step 3
Return the lamb with the salt and water. Cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours, until the meat is very tender. Add a little water if it gets dry.
4
Step 4
Stir in the tamarind, sugar and chilli and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Taste and balance the sweet and sour with more sugar or tamarind.
Before you serve
Cooking notes & good-to-know answers.
Small details for confident timing, useful swaps, and safer leftovers.
Cooking notes
Neck and shoulder cuts stay juicy over the long simmer; leaner cuts dry out.
Remove the whole cloves and allspice before serving if you can find them.
It tastes even better the next day.
Good to know
Yellow rice with raisins, and a sambal or a simple tomato and onion salad.
Lemon juice or a little vinegar gives the sour note, though tamarind is more traditional.
Yes. Mutton needs longer; cook it until tender, which may take two hours or more.
About this recipe
Denningvleis is a Cape Malay classic: lamb cooked slowly with onions and warm spices such as bay, allspice and cloves, then sharpened with tamarind and sweetened with sugar.
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