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Tamatie Kos Recipe | South African Tomato Lamb Stew with Rice

The original Afrikaner Tamatie Kos - NOT Cape Malay Bredie. No curry spices, just slow-braised mutton/lamb in deep savoury tomato gravy with potatoes and basmati rice. Pages stained with tomato from our family book.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Stew:
  • 700 g mutton/lamb bone-in pieces
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 10 ripe tomatoes chopped
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 100 g tomato paste
  • 1-2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp brown vinegar
  • salt/pepper
  • 8 small Nicola potatoes peeled
  • 1 bouquet garni thyme/rosemary/parsley
  • To Serve:
  • Warm basmati rice

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in potjie, brown meat well.
  2. Add onions, sauté golden. Add garlic, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, salt/pepper, bouquet garni. Stir.
  3. Cover simmer 1.5 hours until meat tender.
  4. Add potatoes, cook 15-20 min until soft but holding shape.
  5. Remove bouquet garni, serve over basmati rice with gravy.

Notes

  • Tamatie Bredie: "Bredie" is the traditional Afrikaans (and Cape Malay) word for a slow-cooked vegetable and meat stew. A proper tamatie bredie often features whole aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, leaning into Cape Malay heritage, and is traditionally cooked low-and-slow without adding extra water so the meat braises in the tomato and onion juices.
  • Tamatie Lamb Kos: Literally translated as "tomato lamb food," tamatie kos is a more colloquial, everyday Afrikaans expression used in many homes for a comforting tomato-based meat stew. While it follows the same core recipe of lamb (often neck or knuckles), tomatoes, onions, and potatoes, people might use standard western herbs like thyme or parsley instead of traditional Cape Malay whole spices, or refer to it simply as "tomato stew"