Version from South Africa
bobotie — South Africa
A South African baked dish of spiced ground meat with chutney and raisins, topped with an egg custard, served with yellow rice.
- 25 min
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 6
- Servings
- Medium
- Difficulty
Bobotie is a baked dish of spiced ground meat mixed with chutney, raisins, and milk-soaked bread, finished with a savory egg custard poured over the top and baked until set and lightly browned. It is widely regarded as a national dish of South Africa.
It is eaten across South Africa, in home kitchens as well as restaurants, and appears in community cookbooks under many small variations. Curry powder or turmeric is common in the spicing, giving the dish its yellow tint, alongside other spices such as coriander seed or bay leaves.
Ground beef or lamb is browned with onion, then mixed with curry powder, bread soaked in milk, chutney, raisins or sultanas, and sometimes chopped almonds, before being pressed into a baking dish. A custard of beaten egg and milk is poured over the surface, and the dish is baked until the custard sets into a golden layer on top.
The choice of meat, the sweetness of the chutney, and the presence of nuts or dried apricots all vary by household; it is typically served with plain or turmeric-yellow rice, and garnished with sliced banana, chutney, coconut, or a mix of vegetables and fruit.
Preparation
Soak the bread slices in half the milk until soft, then squeeze out and reserve the milk.
Heat the oil and cook the chopped onion until soft.
Add the ground meat and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks.
Stir in the curry powder and cook for a minute until fragrant.
Mix in the soaked bread, chutney, raisins, and almonds, then season with salt.
Press the mixture into a greased baking dish and tuck the bay leaf on top.
Beat the eggs with the reserved milk and the remaining milk, then pour over the meat.
Bake until the custard sets and turns golden on top.
Serve with yellow rice.
