Serves 4-6

This South African favourite is comfort food at it’s best! This stew, also known as a bredie, can be made using lamb, beef or chicken, and even a vegetarian version is possible. The dumplings steamed on top of this flavourful meal are made with Westfalia Plain Avocado Oil, mealie meal, buttermilk and herbs for a light and fluffy texture.

 

Ingredients

Tomato bredie

  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 6 whole black peppercorns
  • 8-10 whole allspice berries
  • 125 ml (½ cup) water
  • 45 ml (3 tbsp) Westfalia Garlic Flavoured Avocado Oil
  • 1 kg lamb rib, neck, shin or shoulder, cut into pieces and excess fat removed
  • 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed to expose the seeds
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) finely grated fresh ginger
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) ground coriander
  • 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 50 g sachet (50 ml) tomato paste
  • 1 small red chilli, whole
  • salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
  • 45 ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh Italian parsley to garnish

 

Mealie meal & herb dumplings

  • 375 ml (1½ cups) cake flour
  • 100 ml coarse mealie meal
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
  • 75 ml (5 tbsp) Westfalia Plain Avocado Oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 125 ml (½ cup) buttermilk or milk
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) chopped fresh rosemary
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh origanum

 

Method

  1. Place onions, peppercorns and allspice in a large pot. Add water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Allow to simmer without the lid until all the water has evaporated and the flavours are aromatic. Add the avocado oil and sauté the onions until golden brown.
  2. Stir in the meat, cardamom, ginger and coriander. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid and simmer for 30 minutes without adding extra liquid.
  3. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and chilli and season to taste. Gently simmer meat over a low heat for another 1 to 1½ hours or until the meat is just tender.
  4. Dumplings: Prepare the dough just before it is needed. Place the flour, mealie meal and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add avocado oil and rub in with your fingertips, or use a knife or pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Whisk the egg, buttermilk or milk and herbs together and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Gently mix through with a knife until everything is just blended to form a soft dough. To keep the dumplings fluffy, take not to overmix the dough.
  7. Make sure that the stew (bredie) is gently simmering. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, if needed.
  8. Drop spoonfuls (about 30 ml) of the batter in an even layer onto the sauce, leaving a little bit of space in between each dollop for even rising.
  9. Cover with the lid and simmer for another 20-25 minutes (don’t be tempted to lift the lid in the first 20 minutes as they will not rise properly). Simmer until the dumplings and the lamb are cooked. Test a dumpling with a fork – it must break open easily and be cooked through. Serve immediately with a green veggie of your choice.

 

Tips
  1. Chicken and tomato stew: Prepare the same recipe with chicken portions. Follow the method as above and simmer the chicken with all the stew ingredients for only 25 minutes, before adding the dumplings and cook for another 25 minutes, or until the chicken and dumplings are cooked through.
  2. For a vegetarian version chickpeas, beans, and vegetables like butternut or cauliflower will be delicious instead of the meat. Follow the method as above for the chicken stew.