Mavrou Recipe (Cape Malay Beef Curry)

Ingredients

• 1 kg rump steak, fat trimmed, cut into 3-4 cm cubes (or other stewing beef like gravy beef for melting tenderness)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tps ground coriander
• 2 tps ground fennel
• 1 tps crushed red chillies, (adjust to your heat preference)
• 3 medium brown onions, thinly sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or finely chopped)
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 allspice berries
• 3 green cardamom pods, bruised (lightly crush with the back of a knife or a pestle to open slightly)
• 1 ½ tps salt, (or to taste)
• ½ cup olive oil, (or vegetable oil/ghee)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, (fresh or canned crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tps tomato paste
• 1 pinch saffron steeped in about ¼ cup of hot water, (allow to infuse for at least 10 minutes)
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar (for classic tang)
• 1-2 tbsp apricot jam or brown sugar (for a subtle sweet-and-sour balance)
• Fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish
• Hard-boiled eggs, halved, for serving
• Savoury rice (or saffron rice), for serving