There’s nothing more wholesome than a delicious Cape Malay bredie. A bredie is like a stew made with meat and vegetables. The base of the gravy is made with onions and garlic. Bredies can be made with different vegetables and they are really so simple to make, though cooking time might vary based on the meat you are using. Lamb tends to cook quicker than beef.
Bredies can be made on the stove or in the Instant Pot. I prefer using the Instant Pot because it cooks the meat and the potatoes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Cauliflower bredie takes minimal ingredients. The potatoes should be cut in big chunks.
The secret to this deliciousness is letting the meat and onions brown. I meant, let them get REALLY brown.
When I use the stove I added the meat and onions to the pot at the same time and cook them on high heat. With the Instant Pot I add the meat first and let it brown, then add the onions and garlic. If you add the meat and onions together it releases a lot of moisture, and the Instant Pot temperature setting can’t go higher than the setting they give to dry up that moisture faster.
So add the meat to the Instant Pot on without any oil – the highest heat level on sauté mode. Make sure it’s single layer and don’t touch it until the blood starts drawing and the meat starts going brown. Then stir so that the meat browns all sides. When you add the onions, scrape the bottom of the pot to help the onions go brown. Let the meat and onions stick and go brown, but watch that it doesn’t burn. It shouldn’t go black. Then add a little bit of water at the time to deglaze, and you will see the meat and onions changing colour.
Lastly, add the cauliflower and potatoes, and add enough water (there should be about 1 cup in total) to the Instant Pot to pressure cook on the high setting on manual for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, serve up and enjoy.
Many families eat this meal with Mrs Balls chutney, but it really doesn’t need any condiments.
If you enjoy cooking with your Instant Pot as much as I do, try this yummy brown rice dish.
Cauliflower bredie (lamb)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb cubes about 2cm in size
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 500-700 g cauliflower
- 2 medium potatoes cut into big chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Bird's Eye chillis optional
- 1 cup water the pot should have a total of about 1 cup of water to pressure cook
Instructions
- Put the Instant Pot on the highest setting on sauté mode. When it's hot, add the meat in a single layer. Once it starts going brown, stir to brown on all sides.
- Add the onions and garlic and let it go very brown. Add small amounts of water and deglaze the pot. Turn off the pot.
- Add cauliflower, potatoes and salt. Use your judgement and ensure there's about 1 cup of water in the pot. Pressure cook on the manual setting on high for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. When stirring the food, be careful not to break the potatoes, but the cauliflower will turn into a type of thick gravy to dish over rice.