Over the year’s many people have attempted to trace the evolution of Durban Indian Cuisine, based on the influence of South Indian Indentured labours who came to work in the Sugar Cane Plantation at the Port of Durban.
Durban curry is unique and not found in Indian today, but is a South African adaption of Indian food made up of a combination of spices imported from India over the years, merged with wholesome ingredients found in South Africa. This combination offers “the best of both worlds” in the form of a range of meat and vegetarian that reveals the diversity of South African curry dishes, that people of all races from all walks of life are familiar with, as everyone who loves spice will enjoy a Durban curry!
Whether, it be Aunty Devi’s aromatic fish curry spiked with black tamarind and curry leaves, Kovilan’s hot and spicy duck curry, or Kubaashan’s mutton curry studded with curry soakers, every family in Durban has a relative that they acknowledge as a specialist in making one of the curry dishes on our Spicylicious menu.
All South African families swearing their Ava or Amma’s food is the best, as all these dishes would have their roots seeped in family secret recipes and cooking techniques that have been handed down through the generations spanning more than 150 year of Indians in South Africa. Subsequently Durban curry and rice was labelled a “National dish” in 1961 in the Indian Delights recipe book by Zuleikha Mayat and the Women’s Cultural Group. Today people from all walks of life are familiar with the concept of Durban Curry
The most famous Durban curry dish is definitely the bunny chow that is a hollowed-out quarter-loaf of white bread either filled with a meat curry or even more popular is a filling of spicy sugar bean curry and potatoes.
As times have moved on people have become more health conscious, and veganism has emerged as a preferred diet to follow. Spicylicious has opted to add three vegan friendly (non – dairy) vegetarian dishes to our menu. We also provide two rice option being the traditional Durban long grain brown rice or the every famous Low GI Basmati rice to suit everyone’s preferences. However, if rice is not your thing then there’s always a stack of roti to choose from.
Fresh spices are essential to a good Durban curry, and Spicylicious ensures only the best quality ingredients are used in all our recipes. We hope that all our customers find that the Spicylicious range of dishes on our menu captures the true essence of Durban … and that the taste of our food is just as good as your mum or mother-law used to make it!