RecipesSouth African 
Lamb Potjiekos
A slow-cooked South African outdoor stew — layered lamb, vegetables, and herbs over gentle coals.
Ingredients
- 1kg lamb neck or stewing pieces
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup green beans
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup stock or water
- 2 tbsp oil
- Salt & pepper
Method
- 1
Heat oil in potjie pot. Brown lamb pieces on all sides.
- 2
Add onions and garlic. Add carrots, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes in layers. Do not stir.
- 3
Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper. Pour in stock (just enough to steam-cook).
- 4
Simmer gently over low coals for 2–3 hours. Do not stir until the end.
- 5
Once tender, gently fold layers together. Serve with rice, pap, or bread.
Swaps & variations
- Add butternut or sweet potato
- Add apricots for Cape Malay notes
- Replace lamb with beef or chicken
- Add wine for richer broth
Storing & freezing
Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated. Freeze without potatoes for best texture.
Grow it yourself
- Carrots: Sow directly in loose sandy soil; keep moist; thin early
- Green Beans: Thrive in warm soil; fix nitrogen
- Potatoes: Plant early spring; hill up as they grow
- Tomatoes: Love heat and full sun; mulch well
- Rosemary & Thyme: Drought-tolerant perennials ideal for hot SA gardens
- Plant rosemary near beans to deter beetles
- Use garlic spray on tomatoes and beans
- Mulch carrots to minimise root fly
- Encourage spiders and birds for insect control
- Carrots: Harvest when firm and bright
- Green Beans: Pick young and tender
- Potatoes: Harvest when tops turn yellow
- Tomatoes: Use overripe tomatoes for stews
- Herbs: Snip rosemary and thyme as needed
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