I like to cook a proper meal on Sundays.  It’s the one day a week I’m not running around like a crazy person trying to get things done so I take advantage by preparing a full-on feast.

My favorite kind of feast is one that involves just one pot.  You can do a lot in one pot.  A roast with veggies, a soup or stew, or in this case a curry.

I’ve made Indian and Thai curries in the past so when I found a recipe for a South African curry I was intrigued.

The recipe called for a combination of foods I had never seen before: green peppers and… dried apricots.  I was totally skeptical but it worked.  And the two colors looked nice together on my cutting board.  Bonus.

The prep time for this dish takes about a half hour and then you just let it stew for an hour and change and it’s good to go.  Serve it over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes and enjoy.  And enjoy having fewer dishes to clean afterward!

Cape Malay Curry (from Cooking Light magazine)

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup less-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/3 cup apricot spread
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

Combine turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add spice mixture; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger, bay leaves, and garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add beef; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through vinegar); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; discard bay leaves. Simmer 30 minutes or until beef is very tender. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk.

Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.