Durban mutton curry

Grey Street spice shops in Durban blend their own red masalas, and this is the curry they are meant for: bone-in mutton cooked slowly until the gravy turns deep brick red and oily, with potatoes that drink up the chilli. Families in Chatsworth and Phoenix put it on the table for Sunday lunch and at weddings, with white rice or rotis, carrot-and-chilli salad and a bowl of tomato-and-onion sambal to cool things down. It is properly hot, but warm whole spices and curry leaves keep it from tasting only of chilli. Burning the masala is the commonest mistake, so add a splash of water the moment it starts to stick. Chef's tip: wait until the mutton is almost soft before adding the potatoes, or they will crumble into the gravy before the meat is ready.