Pumpkin Bredie (African)

Ingredients

1kg pumpkin, cubed
50g butter
700g fat mutton, cut into pieces
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
1cm fresh ginger, chopped
1 chilli, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cardamom seeds, pounded
2 coriander seeds, pounded
150 to 200ml water, or half water and half white wine
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Peel the pumpkin and cut into 5cm cubes.

Heat butter and brown the meat in the pot with onions, ginger, chilli, garlic, cardamom and coriander seeds. Pour on a little of the water or water and wine, then cover.

Simmer on very low heat for 90 minutes, shaking from time to time and adding liquid when necessary.

Add pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks,salt, pepper and a little liquid.

Cover and simmer slowly, stirring carefully, or shaking from time to time, until the pumpkin is soft and the meat is tender (about 30 minutes). There should be very little liquid, so watch the pot carefully and remove the cover to evaporate excess moisture if necessary.

Season to taste. Add the lemon juice to the bredie at the end of the cooking.

Note
Bredie is a subtly flavoured meat and vegetable stew, introduced to South African cuisine by the Cape Muslims.

Its flavour is derived from meat and vegetable juices. Very little liquid is added.

The 200ml water (or water and wine mixture) listed among the ingredients should be used sparingly and with discretion throughout cooking. It is used only to prevent the bredie from sticking to the pot. There should be no actual gravy.

Bredies can be meals in themselves or accompany white rice.

From Kuali.com