Durban Lamb Curry & Pani Puri — Cooked Over Wood Fire in a Cast Iron Potjie

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