Tamatie Bredie (South African Tomato Stew)

It’s become a tradition in our home every year, on my husband’s birthday, I make Tamatie Bredie (tomato stew). It’s rich, slow-simmered, and comforting, the kind of dish that feels like love in a pot.

This stew also holds a special place in my heart. Growing up in Cape Town, my grandma made tomato stew every single Wednesday. I never knew why Wednesdays were bredie days, but that smell of tomatoes, onions, and spices simmering away is a memory that will never leave me.

So now, even though I only make it once a year, it carries double meaning: a birthday tradition for my husband, and a piece of my childhood that always reminds me of home 🇿🇦.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg lamb (or beef/mutton), cut into chunks
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced into rings6 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
• 156 ml (5.5 oz) can of tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3–4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4–5 whole cloves
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp sugar½ tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp paprika (optional)
• 1–2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp meat tenderizer
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Rub the lamb with meat tenderizer and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven.
3. Add half the sliced onions to the base of the pot, then sprinkle in the cloves.
4. Layer the lamb chunks on top, season with salt, pepper, and spices, then cover with the remaining onions.
5. Let everything brown slowly over medium heat, stirring occasionally so the meat cooks evenly.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring well. Sprinkle in sugar to balance the acidity.
7. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the stew simmer for 1.5–2 hours.
8. Add water only if needed, but with the tomatoes’ natural juices and the steam from a Dutch oven, extra liquid may not be necessary.
9. Add the rosemary just before the potatoes go in.
10. Add potatoes in the last 30–40 minutes of cooking so they soak up the rich tomato gravy.
11. Taste, adjust seasoning, and let it all cook until the meat is tender and the sauce is beautifully thick.

Serve hot with steamed basmati rice or warm crusty bread to mop up all that tomato-ey goodness. This recipe serves 4–6 people.

💡 Tip: You can swap the lamb for beef or mutton, whichever you prefer, but lamb gives it that classic Cape Town touch.