Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation and is definitely a hot contender for South Africa´s dishes. There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which makes long and slow cooking absolutely necessary.
What you need for 4 servings of Bobotie
- 800 grams minced lamb or beef, or both mixed together
- butter, vegetable oil
- 1 onions, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 slices bread, crumbled
- 30 ml milk
- finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, milled black pepper
- 1 1/2 ounces dried apricots, chopped
- 1/2 apple peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/8 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
- 25 grams slivered almonds, roasted in a dry frying pan
- 3 lemon, orange or bay leaves
For the topping:
- 125 ml milk
- 1 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Set the oven at 160°C. Butter a large casserole. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric, and cook briefly until fragrant. Remove tho pot from the heat.
Mix in the minced meat. Mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple sultanas (golden raisins) and almonds and mix in. Pile into the casserole and level the top. Roll up the leaves and bury them at regular intervals. Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Mix milk, eggs and salt for the topping, pour it over and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. Serve with Yellow Rice and Blatjang.