Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry
I have to call this a Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry, as you all know Durban curries are unique. When I get requests for curries from my followers they specify that it must be the cooked like a Durban Curry.
Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry
Luckily I am not new to cooking Durban curries, it’s what I grew up eating and my mum always helps me out when I am stuck with a recipe. My aunt, who is now late, was an amazing cook.
She made the most delicious Mixed Vegetable Curry. Whenever my mum had a prayer at home she was the one that was up early. She would light a fire outside and cook this specific curry in a huge pot, enough to feed an army.
I think everybody waited in anticipation for that day, just so they could eat this delicious Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry. I made this curry a few times and I didn’t like the way it turned out.
So yesterday I called my mum and asked her for the recipe again. I couldn’t believe how simple it was, don’t know what I did the last few times. Anyway this time it turned out perfect and I know my family is going to love it.
For this curry you can basically use any vegetable you want. My mum always used Barlotti/Gadra Beans, Green Beans, Peas, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Gem Squash, Brinjals and Madumbi also know as Yams.
I don’t exactly have all those veggies so I tried to cook my curry with veggies I had. I used green beans, cauliflower, carrots and potatoes. I sometimes add peas. But please feel free to add whatever veggies you prefer.
If you are using veggies that cook quite quickly I suggest you add that towards the end of cooking time. You do want your veggies tender but still holding it’s shape. Nothing worse than a mushy curry.
Here in Johannesburg potatoes take forever to cook so I added some extra water to my curry but you can add much less if your veggies are going to cook quite quickly.
This Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry is definitely a winner and I am sure you will love it even if you are not a veggie fan.
More Durban Curries to try:

Durban Mixed Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- 1&1/2 tbsp butter ghee
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 star aniseed
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaf
- 1 tspn ginger/garlic paste
- 1/2 tspn turmeric
- 1/4 tspn ground fennel
- 1/2 tspn garam masala
- 1&1/2 tbsp masala
- 1 green chilli
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 cup chopped green beans
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup cauliflower
- 2-3 small potatoes cut into fours
- 2 roma tomatoes skin removed and blended
- 2 cups water or less
- salt
Instructions
- Heat butter ghee and add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, star aniseed
- Once the whole spices are fragrant add the onion and curry leaf
- Sauté until the onion is slightly brown
- Add ginger/garlic paste and fry for a minute
- Add masala, turmeric, fennel, cumin, coriander and garam masala. Cook for 2-3 minutes into a thick paste. Add more water if required. Add the tomatoes and allow it to cook for 5 minutes
- Add vegetable, except the peas and sauté for 5 minutes with the lid open, on low heat
- Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes
- Add a cup of water and allow the curry to simmer until the vegetables are cooked and tender. Add more water if required. Gravy should be thick when curry is cooked.
- Garnish with coriander
Notes
- If you are using different vegetable you can add them at different stages of cooking. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook at the start of cooking and the vegetable that cook fairly quickly towards the end of cooking
- Do not add all the water at once, you can add as you go along as you do require a thick gravy.
- You can use vegetable oil as a substitute for the ghee. If using oil you can use about 2 tablespoons
- Adjust the amount of masala according to your preference. If you do not have masala you can use chilli powder and adjust according to your taste
- You can serve the curry with roti, rice and also perfect for a bunny chow
- There are some that prefer dried fish/snoek in this curry. If you adding some you will need to soak the fish in some warm water for a few minutes (to get rid of the saltiness) and add it when frying the onion. Proceed to cook the curry following the steps above
- To speed up the cooking process you can steam your veggies until slightly tender and then add it to the curry sauce.
Hi! What is the difference between garam masala and masala? I’ve never been able to find masala on the KZN South Coast, only garam masala.
Hi Micky! Masala is a blend of chilli powder and all the different spices you would use in a curry. You can mix your own as per the recipe on my blog or you can purchase online from the spice shops in Durban. Garam masala is different. It is more a warming spice that’s used at the end of the cooking process, almost like a garnish. Only here in SA we add it to our curries. I also have a recipe for that on my blog. Will post the links below.
Homemade Durban Masala
Garam Masala