The South African Cookbook: Authentic flavour-packed recipes from Cape town to Durban
By Nokx Majozi
Not Too Tricky
serves 4 to 6
About the recipe
Bobotie is one of those dishes that instantly brings back memories of my time spent in Cape Town. I love the comforting layers of curried minced meat topped with that creamy, golden custard-like layer. The sweet and savoury flavour combination, paired with the spices of South Africa, makes it a dish that never fails to please. It’s one of those polarising dishes that people either love or simply don’t quite get. I often serve it with yellow rice, sambals and sometimes a little Mrs Balls chutney on the side, making this an affordable and delicious dish to have during the week or on a lazy weekend.
Recipe From
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground turmeric
1kg beef mince
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp apricot chutney (or mango chutney)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
50g ground almonds
250ml whole milk
4 medium slices of white bread
2 large eggs, beaten
4 bay leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
1 quantity of Yellow Rice, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C and grease a 24 x 30cm rectangular ovenproof dish, or similarly sized round dish, with butter.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and turmeric and stir for 2–4 minutes until the garlic softens and the spices release their flavour.
- Add the beef mince and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until browned, breaking up any large lumps. Add the tomato paste, chutney, Worcestershire sauce and ground almonds and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
- Pour the milk into a large bowl and add the bread. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then scoop out the bread, squeezing the excess milk back into the bowl (keep this to one side). On a plate, use a fork to mash the bread until smooth, then add it to the pan and mix well.
- Transfer the mince mixture into the prepared dish and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.
- Mix the reserved milk with the beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the top of the meat. Place the bay leaves on top and bake for 40–50 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is golden brown. Cut into portions and serve with Yellow Rice and a side salad.
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