Durban Lamb Curry & Pani Puri — Cooked Over Wood Fire in a Cast Iron Potjie
Travel Trails Tastes
23,294 views
Durban Lamb Curry & Pani Puri at it's best. Durban doesn't mess around with curry. This is the dish that built the city's food reputation — a rich, slow-cooked lamb curry packed with whole spices and fire, served the way it was meant to be: with crispy Pani Puri shells filled with spiced potato masala, dunked into ice-cold mint-coriander water. Street food at its absolute finest. 🔥
Today we're cooking two legends together — the Best Durban Lamb Curry on the bone and homemade Pani Puri with a Sambal kick.
🐑 DURBAN LAMB CURRY — INGREDIENTS
• 1kg lamb on the bone
• 160ml vegetable oil
• 2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 4 x 3cm cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2 black cardamom (elachie)
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 4 tsp ginger/garlic paste
• 4 tbsp masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds (soomph)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, blanched and grated
• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander to garnish
• 1–2 cups water
METHOD:
1. Heat oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and bay leaves — fry until fragrant. Add onion and curry leaves, cook until golden and translucent.
2. Add ginger/garlic paste, sauté 1 minute. Add masala, turmeric, soomph and garam masala. Fry into a thick paste — add a splash of water if needed.
3. Add lamb and mix well. Cook uncovered on medium heat for 5 minutes — this is where the spices penetrate the meat. Add grated tomatoes, season, cover and simmer until sauce thickens.
4. Add potatoes. Cook 5 minutes, then add 1 cup water (less if you prefer a thicker gravy). Turn to low heat and simmer until potatoes are soft and gravy is rich.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot.
🫧 PANI PURI — INGREDIENTS
PURI: 32 ready-made Puris / Golgappa
PANI (Spiced Water):
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 1–2 green chillies
• ½ inch ginger
• Juice of 1½ lemons
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak)
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• 4 tbsp boondi (optional)
MASALA (Filling):
• 1½ cups mashed boiled potato (approx. 3 medium)
• ½ cup boiled kala chana (black chickpeas)
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin-coriander powder
• ¼ tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• Salt to taste
METHOD:
Pani: Blend mint, coriander, chilli, ginger and lemon juice to a smooth paste. Add sugar, chaat masala, black salt and 4 cups water. Chill for 1 hour. Add boondi just before serving for crunch.
Masala: Mix all filling ingredients together. Done.
Assemble: Crack a hole in each puri, fill with masala, top with onion and sev, drizzle date-tamarind chutney, dip in pani water and enjoy immediately.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 — What is South African food
8:08 — Durban Lamb Curry: The Spice Build
13:03 — Cooking the Lamb — Don't Rush This Part
16:51 — Making the Sambal
25:19 — Pani Puri: Making the Mint Water
31:18 — Making the Pani
34:26 — Making the Puri's
36:26 — Assembling and Tasting the Pani Puri
38:50 — Dishing up the Durban Curry
40:26 — The Tasting — Was It Worth It?
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#DurbanCurry #PaniPuri #SouthAfricanFood #LambCurry #FireCooking #DurbanFood #BraaiCulture #SouthAfricanCooking #woolworthssa #wtaste
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Durban Lamb Curry & Pani Puri — Cooked Over Wood Fire in a Cast Iron Potjie
Travel Trails Tastes
23,294 views
Durban Lamb Curry & Pani Puri at it's best. Durban doesn't mess around with curry. This is the dish that built the city's food reputation — a rich, slow-cooked lamb curry packed with whole spices and fire, served the way it was meant to be: with crispy Pani Puri shells filled with spiced potato masala, dunked into ice-cold mint-coriander water. Street food at its absolute finest. 🔥
Today we're cooking two legends together — the Best Durban Lamb Curry on the bone and homemade Pani Puri with a Sambal kick.
🐑 DURBAN LAMB CURRY — INGREDIENTS
• 1kg lamb on the bone
• 160ml vegetable oil
• 2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 4 x 3cm cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2 black cardamom (elachie)
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 4 tsp ginger/garlic paste
• 4 tbsp masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds (soomph)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, blanched and grated
• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander to garnish
• 1–2 cups water
METHOD:
1. Heat oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and bay leaves — fry until fragrant. Add onion and curry leaves, cook until golden and translucent.
2. Add ginger/garlic paste, sauté 1 minute. Add masala, turmeric, soomph and garam masala. Fry into a thick paste — add a splash of water if needed.
3. Add lamb and mix well. Cook uncovered on medium heat for 5 minutes — this is where the spices penetrate the meat. Add grated tomatoes, season, cover and simmer until sauce thickens.
4. Add potatoes. Cook 5 minutes, then add 1 cup water (less if you prefer a thicker gravy). Turn to low heat and simmer until potatoes are soft and gravy is rich.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot.
🫧 PANI PURI — INGREDIENTS
PURI: 32 ready-made Puris / Golgappa
PANI (Spiced Water):
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 1–2 green chillies
• ½ inch ginger
• Juice of 1½ lemons
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak)
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• 4 tbsp boondi (optional)
MASALA (Filling):
• 1½ cups mashed boiled potato (approx. 3 medium)
• ½ cup boiled kala chana (black chickpeas)
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin-coriander powder
• ¼ tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• Salt to taste
METHOD:
Pani: Blend mint, coriander, chilli, ginger and lemon juice to a smooth paste. Add sugar, chaat masala, black salt and 4 cups water. Chill for 1 hour. Add boondi just before serving for crunch.
Masala: Mix all filling ingredients together. Done.
Assemble: Crack a hole in each puri, fill with masala, top with onion and sev, drizzle date-tamarind chutney, dip in pani water and enjoy immediately.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 — What is South African food
8:08 — Durban Lamb Curry: The Spice Build
13:03 — Cooking the Lamb — Don't Rush This Part
16:51 — Making the Sambal
25:19 — Pani Puri: Making the Mint Water
31:18 — Making the Pani
34:26 — Making the Puri's
36:26 — Assembling and Tasting the Pani Puri
38:50 — Dishing up the Durban Curry
40:26 — The Tasting — Was It Worth It?
🔔 New videos every week — Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a braai.
#DurbanCurry #PaniPuri #SouthAfricanFood #LambCurry #FireCooking #DurbanFood #BraaiCulture #SouthAfricanCooking #woolworthssa #wtaste