Denningvleis is a dish that definitely showcases just how delicious South African cuisine is. Some people say that this dish has become a bit forgotten, so now it’s high time to bring it back!
Denningvleis is a South African lamb stew with a mixed spice marinade from Cape Malay influence. Its taste bounces between sweet and sour as a result of the tamarind used.
Nowadays, people use vinegar or lemon juice instead. However, back in the day denningvleis was used for medicinal purposes to increase acidity levels in the body.
Traditionally, you’ll find it in South African homes on very special occasions and family celebrations. The term ‘denningvleis’ came from the Javanese word for meat of the water buffalo -‘dendeng’.
Combined with a side of rice and some roasted vegetables, this dish will send you on a South African adventure. Before you get on with this recipe, make sure to double check whether you’ve got all the spices at home.
Denningvleis with PGI Welsh Lamb
With lamb being the center piece of the denningvleis, you’ll want to get a high-quality piece of meat. What better protein to use than a superior quality lamb from Wales?
More specifically, the PGI Welsh Lamb is known for its exceptional quality and farming excellence over the years. ‘PGI’ – a term granted by the European Commission, stands for Protected Geographical Indication.
This certifies that the lamb is born in a unique terrain which uses pure ingredients to produce this special Welsh lamb. Imagine, sweet spring water, luscious green grass and clean air.
Perfect conditions for sheep that give them that unique premium taste. If you’ve had PGI Welsh Lamb before, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about because the taste is on a whole other level.
Hundreds of years of farming traditions have been dedicated to the PGI Welsh Lamb husbandry. It has had centuries of perfecting farming traditions for crafting perfect landscapes, suitable for rearing lamb and cattle.
With heavy rainfall in Wales, it creates the perfect conditions for luscious Welsh grass which the cattle and sheep feast on. Therefore, the PGI Welsh Lamb has its own unique taste.
Quality is definitely the way to go. To find out more information about PGI Welsh Lamb and why it is superior in terms of quality, please visit this site.
Selecting the lamb
Once you’ve decided to go for top quality such as PGI Welsh Lamb, next you’ll have to consider the cut. Most people are not so keen on using lamb because they think it’s too expensive.
No worries, you can use cheaper cuts of lamb for the denningvleis. The ideal type of cuts are shoulder chop, loin chop, ribs, rack of lambs, chump chops, stewing lamb and shanks.
Lamb is very versatile when it comes to cooking with and that’s the beauty of it.
However, for maximum flavour for the denningvleis, I would recommend using cuts with a bone in for extra flavour. I used chump chops but you can buy stewing lamb if you don’t like to fiddle with the bones.
You can even use lamb shanks. The bones can be reused afterwards to create a broth or delicious gravy.
South African cuisine
South African cuisine is one of those cuisines which you can trace back to many cultures. This is the result of years of European colonisation from the Dutch, German, French and British around the 17th century.
However, you can also credit the indigenous people, Sotho and Nguni, for their heavy influence in South African cuisine. Before South Africa was colonised they used a wide range of ingredients.
These include leaves, wild plants, game, fruit, nuts, spices, fermented milk and bulbs.
Once the Dutch East India Company came into the picture with their refreshment stations for their ships, they influenced the region for more than 150 years. The Dutch introduced spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon and the deep-frying technique to produce the infamous ‘vetkoek’.
Once the South African trade routes became popular, it was common for Europeans to bring Indo-Asian servants with them on these journeys. Hence, you’ll find a lot of Indonesian influence in the South African cuisine with the use of curry spices.
The Indo-Asians became an ethnic group called the Cape Malays, with their very own cuisine. Today, the Cape Malays still continue to have an influence in traditional South African dishes such as the denningvleis.
The French brought in jams, preserves and most importantly wine! Today, South Africa is known for its superior quality wine. The Germans brought sausages and ‘boerewors’, a type of farmers sausage, was born.
Post 17th century, the Dutch, Germans and French formed a nation and became known as Afrikaners. Later on, the Afrikaners started taking advantage of the delicious meat and wild game, essentially making meat the center of any dish.
As you can see, South African cuisine has many influences and that’s what makes it so exciting!
serving
It’s very common to serve the denningvleis with rice. To keep things traditional, I served the denningsvleis with ‘geelrys’ – a South African yellow rice with spices and raisins.
No meal is complete without greens, so I also served ‘boereboontjies’ – green beans mashed with potato and onions. Top the plate off with some coriander or parsley for additional flavour. A lovely red wine will complement the denningvleis beautifully. Enjoy!
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Denningvleis
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Denningvleis is a sweet and sour lamb recipe originating from the Cape Malay community. This South African recipe stews lamb chops with tamarind paste.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg (3lbs) Welsh lamb chump chops, cut into smaller chunks
- 30ml (2 tbsp) oil
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6 whole cloves
- 5ml (1 tsp) allspice
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 5ml (1 tsp) mustard seed
- 3 bay leaves
- 7.5ml (1½ tsp) salt
- 60ml (4 tbsp) tamarind paste
- 30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
- 250ml (1 cup) water
Instructions
- In a large ovenproof casserole, fry the chops in the oil until browned on all sides then remove the meat from the dish.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3.
- Lower the heat and gently fry the onions and garlic until softened.
- Add the cloves, allspice, nutmeg, mustard, bay, salt, tamarind brown sugar, the browned lamb and water to the mix and stir until everything is well mixed. Add more water if needed.
- Place the lid on the casserole and transfer the casserole to the oven. Cook for 1 hour.
- Check on the meat, add more water if needed just enough to ensure the stew doesn’t dry out, then cook for another hour or until the meat is tender at 140°C/280°F/gas mark 1.
- Serve with geelrys and boereboontjies.
Notes
- Other cuts of stewing lamb can be used, even lamb shanks!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Stew
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: South African
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 118
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 255 mg
- Fat: 5.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.4 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: denningvleis recipe, sweet and sour lamb, cape malay braised lamb chops, South African lamb recipe
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Sj Dc
i can never get enough of the deliciousness that a malwa pudding is
michelle
thanks for sharing 🙂
Tracey Peach
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one!
★★★★★
michelle
It’s a very specific dish 🙂 I’d be surprised if a lot of people have. You should try it. It’s delish! 🙂
Jane Willis
I love bobotie. I don’t know how authentic my version is but authentic or not it’s delicious
michelle
Agreed 🙂
sam macaree
never tried any before but would love to give your recipe a go
michelle
Thanks Sam, let me know how it goes 🙂
Frances Sunshine Hopkins
I’ve never unfortunately tried any
michelle
Hope you give this a go 🙂
Kim Neville
I like Boere Breyani
michelle
Sounds delicious 🙂
Nicola Dellard-Lyle
Any fish cooked on the braai! And guava ice cream for dessert 😀
michelle
OOOOOO, you are making me hungry :))
Solange
Bobotie, which consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.
michelle
I like bobotie too 🙂
Carole Nott
I’m new to this style of cooking so would need to learn more about the recipes
michelle
Hope you have fun Carole! 🙂
Elaine Packer
Biltong. A friend introduced this to me at uni and I love its unique taste.
michelle
Thanks for sharing Elaine 🙂
Krzysia
I’ve never actually tried any South African dishes. I generally like most fish dishes so I’d like to try some new South African ones.
michelle
Go for it! I hope you enjoy Krzysia 🙂
Dean T
Have eaten very little SA cuisine, all I can recall are some delish sausages I had at a bbq one time. Would like to try Bunny Chow
michelle
Go for it 🙂
kayleigh Robinson
Bobotie is my favourite. My friend made it for me once and I absolutely loved it! I make it myself a couple of times a month now. Absolutely delicious!
michelle
cool 🙂
Jessica Powell
To be honest I don’t think I know any! I shall have to try some out.
michelle
Please do 🙂
hannah wood
I have not tried any I know that is bad.
michelle
No time like the present 😉
Lindsey Loughtman
BObotie is delicious
michelle
🙂 agreeeeeed
Tracy Delaney
Boere Breyani is an interesting fruity curry
★★★★
michelle
and delicious too 🙂
michelle o'neill
I have not tried any yet
michelle
you’ll love it 🙂
Kelly White
On holiday last year, we had Eggs Benedict with biltong, it was amazing! My favourite was Eland though, so, so good!
michelle
thanks for sharing Kelly! Sounds really amazing
Michaela Hannah
My friend makes some mean crunchy fried bananas, they are heaven!
michelle
wow! would love to try them
Carly Belsey
Slow-cooked Karoo lamb shanks. Yummy!
michelle
yummy indeed!
Rachel White
I have yet to try any.. it all sounds delicious though!
★★★★★
michelle
thanks Rachel!
Melissa Lee
I have to say I’ve never tried a South African recipe that I know of. I’d be intrigued to though!
michelle
ooooh try it 🙂 they are delicious
Ryan Painter
Boere Breyani
michelle
YUMMY
michelle
nice!
Jo Hutchings
I don’t think I have one. I’ve never really tried South African food.
michelle
Try it! You’ll love it if you like tangy and spicy flavours. 🙂
Katrina Adams
I have actually never tried South African food as far as I am aware, although your post and question inspired me to take a look and see what kind of recipes are there. I found a Chicken and Peanut Stew that looks delicious on pinterest and have now added that to my recipe list to try along with yours as it looks delicious.
michelle
Hi Katrina! That’s so nice to hear 🙂 I hope you keep exploring traditional South African recipes 🙂
Nikki Hayes
Can’t say I’ve ever eaten any South African cuisine that I’m aware of but the denningvleis sounds lovely :o)
michelle
Hi Nikki 🙂 Thanks! I hope you keep enjoying my recipes 🙂
LARA Latchem
Love bobathie
michelle
same!
Katherine Lucas
I’ve never tried any yet, but now thinking it’s the time to
michelle
yey! let me know how it goes 🙂
Fiona Martin
Haven’t really tried any South African dishes, but definitely need to add them to the list to try out!
michelle
yey! Im glad. Let me know which SA dish you decide to go for 😛
Emma Ellams
I have never tried one but I love the sound of the curried lamb chops with apricots sound amazing!
michelle
agreed 🙂
M
I love bunny chow! I also love just about any meat on a braai, though. Although it technically isn’t a recipe, I also love Pronutro and Milo (not together).
michelle
me too! 🙂
michelle
me too! x
Miss Tracy Hanson
Well as we are only just starting our South African journey our two favourites at the moment are BOERE BREYANI and the VANILLA & GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLE. 🙂
michelle
fantastic! What a great way to start 🙂
Miss Tracy Hanson
I’ve subscribed. 🙂
michelle
Awesome! Enjoy the recipes 🙂
Kristin Burdsall
I dont know what they are called but one of the school mums (from south Africa originally) made some fab little doughnut style cakes for the Christmas fair cake stand this year. They were filled with jam like a doughnut but were covered in a cinnamon sugar. Heaven!
michelle
hehe, nice! They sound addictive 😛
Tricia cowell
I haven’t cooked any, but will definitely be trying some recipes. Sound very tasty
michelle
thanks Tricia!
paula cheadle
my friend who is south African gave me Bobotie, I loved it, now I ,make it myself, yum
michelle
haha, great to hear! 🙂
Fay Burman
This all looks delicious, I’d love to try South African food!
michelle
thanks Fay. Go for it 🙂
Jessica Barber
Has to be Boere Breyani for me! ?
michelle
nice 🙂
Tammy Neal
I love bootie xx
michelle
me too
Lindsey Martin
My favourite is Bobotie, as I can see quite a favourite on here too. Love getting new things, you’re such an inspiration. Thank you
michelle
You are very welcome Lindsey 🙂 I hope you keep enjoying my recipes 🙂
jacqui rushton
I love Oxtail potjie!
michelle
ooo, how interesting. 🙂
Sheila Reeves
Only South African dish I know I’ve tried is Paptert, (Mealie Pie) – my MiL used to make it years ago
michelle
Nice! That one is delicious too 🙂
claire davey
i never tried but my son and I have been intrigued by your post and so did some recipe finding and we going to cook BOERE BREYANI later and cant wait to try something new.
michelle
fantastic to hear!! Do let me know how it turns out for you 🙂
Lucy Chester
My friend made us all a Bobotie last year and was so delicious but have not yet had a go at making it myself.
michelle
great to hear 🙂 Bobotie is delicious
Alison G Ellis
Iv tried bierewors
michelle
niiiice!
Jacqueline Roberts
I’m being honest I’ve never tried South African food but it looks amazing. Will try some recipes at home now after seeing this, looks like my kind of food.
michelle
I am so happy that my recipes keep inspiring people like you to try SA cuisine. Yey!
Ali Fanstone
wow I have never tried these types of meals but will certainly be giving it a go
michelle
yey! please do and then share 🙂
James Rowlands
Looks amazing but have never tried south African food.
michelle
you should 🙂
Kev Cannon
I don’t have any experience with South African food but the curried lamb chops look lovely. I love cooking so I’m going to try some of the recipes to see how the family like them
michelle
so excited! 🙂
Catherine Booker
Well I have a feeling once I’ve tried the Denningvleis lamb stew that will be a firm favourite but I’m going make hubby look through and try a few recipes (he adores cooking, I adore eating!)
michelle
hahaha, how fantastic 😛
Tracey S Anderson
I haven’t had the pleasure of sampling any South African dishes as yet, but i most certainly will be trying out a few of the recipies, they sound amazingly delicious! 🙂 x
★★★★★
michelle
I hope you like it Tracey 🙂 SA cuisine is fab!
Robyn Clarke
I’m South African and I can’t quite decide whether I prefer bunny chow or bobotie. Both remind me of home.
michelle
true that!
sharon martin
to be honest i’ve never tried south african food but you denningvleis with pgi welsh lamb looks tasty
michelle
thanks Sharon! 🙂
Ruth Wollerton
Never tried any, but your recipe sounds delicious, going to attempt to make it, thanks. Happy New Year.
michelle
Happy New Year to you too Ruth 🙂
Lorna Roberts
Never tried but I do like Biltong.
michelle
oooo nice!
Jessi
I’ve never tried one but they all look nice!
michelle
go for it 🙂
Nikki Easton
I’ve never cooked any myself but anything with spicy lamb would go down well with me.
michelle
hehe like the way you think Nikki 🙂
Kate Davies
The only south African food I have tried is Biltong but I’d like to try bunny chow.
michelle
great!
Richard Eldred Hawes
I must admit that I have always loved a good Bobotie
michelle
me too 🙂
Sarah Hutt
love to try any your food looks fab
michelle
thanks Sarah!
Rachael Sexey
I love Malva pudding
★★★★★
michelle
nice!!
Natalie Crossan
Absolutely love biltong x
michelle
same here 🙂
Fliss
I love the sound of most spiced meat and rice dishes like the lamb dish above, but haven’t much experience of South African food. Does plantain feature? I don’t live in a city and I was super excited to see my local store is stocking it for the first time, as I love it!
michelle
it can 🙂 that’s so cool to hear! 🙂
Rachael Watkins
Mario lamb sharks- only had them once but will never forget the taste – gorgeous!
michelle
ooooh how nice. Have to try this