Tomato Stew (‘Bredie’)

In Afrikaans we call a stew a ‘bredie’, but it is actually a word of Malaysian origin. This form of cooking was introduced to the Cape by the Malays, who were brought to the colony in most cases as slaves. The word ‘bredie’ refers to oriental spinach. In tomato bredie tomato is used instead. (Source: Wikipedia)

So, we are once again making a dish that is of Cape Malay origin. Their food is always aromatic, probably because of the spices used in it.

On the last day of 2023, Berto made a mouthwatering pot of tomato stew – the perfect way to end the year.

Put it on the table:

Because the spices are so important in this recipe, we start with them first. This is then followed by the rest of the ingredients.

Spices

4 whole cloves

3 corns of allspice

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

6 whole black peppercorns

3 cloves of garlic

150g tomato paste

2 teaspoons white pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Garlic and tomato paste with the spices

Here are the amounts of the rest of the ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

15 baby potatoes

6 medium size ripe tomatoes

1kg stewed lamb/mutton (shanks, ribs or neck)

Rest of the ingredients

To release the flavours of the spices, first fry them for a while in a little olive oil. The aromas reminded me a bit of Christmas and New Year at the same time – just what you want to smell in your kitchen at this time of year!

Fry the spices in olive oil

Now fry the chopped onions until they are soft and brown. Then add the meat and chopped garlic and stir together.

Fry onions until soft and then add the meat and garlic

When the meat has fried until it begins to brown, it’s time to add the tomato paste. Then add the chopped tomato and stir well again.

The tomato paste gives the dish a lovely colour

Time for the chopped tomato

Now the dish should cook on medium to low heat (with the lid on) until the meat is tender and there are no more solid pieces of tomatoes – for about 2 hours.

If the dish cooks too dry, add a little boiling water. If the tomatoes are not that sweet, you can also add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar. This is where the chef has to taste until he is satisfied!

Tomato stew in the making

When the meat is soft and almost falling off the bone, the small potatoes can be added. Cook it for another half hour until the potatoes are soft.

Time to add the potatoes

While the potatoes were simmering, my mum cooked a pot of fragrant Basmati rice. After almost three hours, we were ready to sit down for our last meal of 2023 – a simple but festive meal!

Tomato stew and Basmati rice

And again … this dish is even better the next day. So, make enough, because tomorrow visitors will come who heard there is left over tomato stew!