Saturday afternoon, pot already on the stove by half two. Someone’s left the back door open and the smell has reached the garden. That’s how a curry announces itself. This one comes via a mate of Jamie Oliver’s — a Scotsman named Peter who, by all accounts, makes the best curry and keeps beer cold. The combination checks out.
The thing that sets this apart from a packet-paste version is the fresh curry paste — red onion, chilli, garlic, a full bunch of coriander and a thumb of fresh ginger blended together with the spice rub. That paste goes into the pot and cooks low and slow until it darkens and smells like something your neighbours will text you about. A splash of Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice goes in right at the end — not to complicate things, just to cut through. The ginger in the juice chimes with the ginger in the paste, and the lime does what lime does to a rich sauce.
It serves eight, which means leftovers. Which is the best reason to make a curry in the first place.
Lamb Curry with Ginger & Lime
Ingredients
Method
- Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the lamb chunks with half the spice rub and set aside while you make the paste.
- Place the ginger, red onions, garlic, red chillies, coriander and the remaining spice rub into a blender. Add 3–4 tablespoons of Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and blend to a rough paste. A little texture is fine.
- Heat a good splash of Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Brown the lamb in batches — don’t crowd the pan. You want real colour, not steam. Remove each batch and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, let it melt, then tip in the curry paste. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the paste darkens and smells fragrant. If it catches, add a splash of water.
- Return the lamb to the pot. Pour in the tinned tomatoes — break them up with a spoon — and add the stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer.
- Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the lamb is completely tender and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last 20 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice — start with one tablespoon, taste, and add more if you want more brightness. Stir in half the yoghurt.
- Serve with the remaining yoghurt on top, scattered with fresh mint and coriander. Rice or roti alongside.
Notes
We Use Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice
Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice is a concentrate — lime juice with warm ginger built in. A tablespoon goes into this curry right at the end, off the heat, and what it does is lift the whole pot. Long-cooked dishes can go flat and heavy in the final stretch. The lime adds a clean top note, the ginger echoes the fresh ginger already in the paste, and suddenly the curry tastes like it was finished five minutes ago rather than simmered for an hour.
It’s not a squeeze of lime from the fruit bowl. The flavour is more rounded, less sharp — which suits a slow-cooked curry better than straight citrus. And because it’s concentrated, you don’t need much. One tablespoon is usually right; taste before adding a second.
Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil does the earlier work — browning the lamb in batches and carrying the spice paste through its first cook in the pot. Cold-pressed, which means it brings genuine flavour to those early stages rather than just heat transfer.
A Few Tips
Brown the lamb properly — don’t rush this step and don’t crowd the pan. Do it in two or three batches over high heat and get real colour on each piece. That caramelisation is what gives the finished curry its depth.
Cook the paste long enough — the fresh paste needs 8–10 minutes in the pot before the lamb goes back in. It should darken, smell fragrant and stop tasting raw. If it catches, add a splash of water and lower the flame.
Add the lime juice off the heat — once the curry is done and the pot is off the stove, stir in the Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice. Heat kills the fresh citrus note you want it to provide.
Taste before you salt — the paste, tinned tomatoes and stock all carry salt. Taste the finished curry before adding anything extra. It usually needs less than you think.
Make it a day ahead — this curry is noticeably better the next day. The flavours settle and the sauce thickens overnight. Reheat gently and add a splash of water if it’s gone too thick.
Freeze in portions — this recipe makes enough for eight, which is a feature, not a problem. Freeze flat in zip-lock bags and you’ve got suppers sorted for the next few weeks.
How We Serve It
Straight from the pot into deep bowls, with basmati rice that’s been rinsed until the water runs clear. A spoonful of yoghurt on top, the fresh mint and coriander scattered over at the end.
Roti works just as well — better, some would say. The frozen roti situation at Pick n Pay and Woolworths is genuinely good and there’s no shame in it. Warm them directly over a gas flame for thirty seconds a side and they come out with a bit of char that works beautifully with the sauce.
If you’re feeding a crowd, put the curry in the centre of the table with the rice on one side and the yoghurt in a bowl. A quick cucumber and tomato salad with fresh green chilli alongside. The curry does the work. Everything else just needs to get out of the way.
More Ways to Use Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice
It earns its place in a curry, but Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice is one of those pantry bottles you reach for more often than you’d expect. A few ideas worth trying:
Chicken marinade — a tablespoon mixed with olive oil, garlic and honey makes a quick marinade for chicken thighs that grills beautifully over coals or on a griddle pan.
Salad dressing — whisk one tablespoon with Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Works on any green salad, grain bowl or roasted vegetable plate.
Fish finishing sauce — stir into a butter pan sauce right at the end when finishing grilled linefish. The ginger and lime cut through the butter without overpowering the fish.
Mocktail base — a tablespoon in sparkling water with fresh mint and ice. Effortless, and works for anyone not drinking at the table.
Smoothie lift — a teaspoon into a mango or pineapple smoothie for a ginger kick without peeling and grating fresh ginger at 6am.
The Good Stuff
Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice is a concentrate made with real lime juice and natural ginger flavouring. It’s dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, Halaal certified, Kosher certified and suitable for Hindu diets. It’s also a genuine pantry staple — the same bottle that finishes a curry works in a salad dressing, a marinade or a mocktail.
Ways to Change It Up
Swap the protein — bone-in chicken thighs work well in the same paste and sauce. Reduce the simmering time to 40–45 minutes and check the chicken is cooked through before serving.
Make it vegetarian — replace the lamb with a mix of chickpeas and roasted butternut. Use vegetable stock, leave out the butter, and reduce simmering time to 30 minutes.
Add coconut milk — replace half the stock with a 400ml tin of coconut milk for a creamier version that works particularly well with chicken.
Control the heat — two red chillies in the paste gives a medium heat. Deseed both for a milder version. Add a third chilli or a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes for more.
Add spinach — stir two large handfuls of fresh baby spinach into the curry in the last 5 minutes. It wilts quickly and adds colour without changing the flavour profile.
Dairy-free finish — leave out the yoghurt and stir in a 400ml tin of full-fat coconut cream at the end instead. Use olive oil throughout in place of the butter.
Questions You Might Have
Can I use a different cut of lamb?
Yes — bone-in shoulder gives you even more collagen for a richer sauce. Increase the simmer time by 20–30 minutes and check the meat is falling-tender before finishing. Neck fillet also works well. Avoid leg steaks, which can go dry over long cooking.
Can I substitute fresh lime juice for the Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice?
You can use the juice of one lime plus a small piece of grated fresh ginger, but the Wilson’s version is more rounded and the ginger note is softer — which suits a long-cooked curry better than straight sharp citrus. It also means one fewer thing to prep.
How do I store and reheat this?
In the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much overnight. Freezes well in portions for up to 3 months — freeze flat in zip-lock bags.
My sauce is too thin — what do I do?
Remove the lid and increase the heat slightly for the last 15–20 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken on its own. Resist the urge to add flour or cornflour — it changes the texture in a way that doesn’t work here.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes — brown the lamb and cook the paste in a pan first (don’t skip this), then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the tomatoes and stock. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Add the Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice and yoghurt at the very end, off the heat.
Can I make the curry paste ahead?
Yes. Blend the paste and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze in an ice cube tray for up to a month. Having the paste done makes the actual cooking much faster on the day.
Where can I buy Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice?
Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice is available online at oliveoil.co.za and at leading retailers across South Africa.
Make This Saturday’s Curry.
Wilson’s Ginger Flavoured Lime Juice is available online and at leading retailers across South Africa.
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