Mavrou with Turmeric Rice

Mavrou, a traditional Cape Malay beef curry which is usually served at weddings, on Eid and other family gatherings and special occasions. It's a comforting and hearty dish and a perfect fusion of culinary traditions brought to South Africa by enslaved folks from the Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and East Africa, alongside Dutch influences. Cape Malay cuisine is renowned for its vibrant use of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and chilli, often balanced with fruit and sweet components like apricot or tamarind. The name "Mavrou" itself is believed to stem from the African word "Mevrou," meaning "Madam" or "Ma'am," possibly implying it being a refined dish or one expertly prepared by the mistress of the house.

Mavrou with Turmeric Rice

adapted from Taste

Mavrou	Turmeric Rice
1.5-1.8 kg Chuck steak (or stewing beef), cut into 5cm pieces 5 cm-piece Ginger, peeled, finely chopped 6 Garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 Cardamom pods, bruised 1 tbsp Sweet paprika 1 tsp Ground coriander 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp Allspice 3 Cinnamon sticks 3 Bay leaves Sea salt and black pepper 4 tbsp Ghee 3 Red onions, peeled and finely chopped 2 Tomatoes, chopped Beef stock or water Cilantro or flat parsley, to garnish Chilli flakes, to garnish	2 tbsp Ghee 1 Small onion, finely diced 4 Garlic cloves, minced 300 g Jasmine rice, well-rinsed 2 tsp Turmeric powder 580 ml Homemade bone broth 1 Bay leaf Sea salt and black pepper

Mavrou

Turmeric Rice

1.5-1.8 kg Chuck steak (or stewing beef), cut into 5cm pieces
5 cm-piece Ginger, peeled, finely chopped
6 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Cardamom pods, bruised
1 tbsp Sweet paprika
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Allspice
3 Cinnamon sticks
3 Bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
4 tbsp Ghee
3 Red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, chopped
Beef stock or water
Cilantro or flat parsley, to garnish
Chilli flakes, to garnish

2 tbsp Ghee
1 Small onion, finely diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
300 g Jasmine rice, well-rinsed
2 tsp Turmeric powder
580 ml Homemade bone broth
1 Bay leaf
Sea salt and black pepper

Combine the beef, ginger, garlic, cardamom, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and bay leaves in a large bowl. Season. Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour.
Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5-8 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in the beef mixture and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the chopped tomato and cook, partially covered, on a medium to low heat for 2 hours, adding just a little beef stock or water now and then to prevent burning, and stirring when necessary until beef is almost tender. Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes and the mixture thickens slightly.
For the turmeric rice, rinse rice until water runs clear, drain. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add ghee. When ghee is melted, add onion and garlic, saute until softened.
Add rice and turmeric. Stir until combined. Add bone broth and bay leaf, season to taste, cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Then reduce heat, allow to simmer 10-12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

7 comments:

Tom 12/1/26 12:22: ...another culinary treat from around the world!
David M. Gascoigne, 12/1/26 13:06: The rice sounds wonderful.
Judee 12/1/26 13:12: I am amazed at the amount of spices in this dish and spices are so health giving. Thanks for explaining the background of this dish. Very interesting.
Lola Martínez 12/1/26 13:15: Para mi lleva muchas especias pero lo probaría sin duda, seguro que merece la pena.
DEZMOND 12/1/26 13:41: I was just thinking of making some egg fried rice tomorrow for lunchen, I wanted to make it every since I have seen the recipe at my sweet Nick DiGiovanni's YouTube channel.
Asep Haryono 12/1/26 13:53: I agree with some parts of your claims

As far as I am concerned, the only part of your claim that is not firmly proven is the origin of the name “Mavrou” from “Mevrou” (Madam). That explanation is popular in food stories, but there is no strong historical or linguistic evidence to confirm it. Everything else about the dish, its use at celebrations, and Cape Malay cuisine is correct.
By the way, it looks so tasty.
Anonymous 12/1/26 15:12: Looks good -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com