Bobotie

Bobotie is a traditional Cape Malay dish that has become a trademark of South African cuisine. When the Malaysian slaves arrived in the Cape in the late sixteenth and seventeenth century they brought with them numerous eastern recipes. Bobotie combines a very interesting array of ingredients: meat, curry, spices and fruit / dried fruit. The result is a unique tasting sweet, sour and spicy meat dish.

Serves four to six persons.
Ingredients

3 onions, sliced
3 tbsp oil
1kg minced beef or mutton
300ml milk
4 eggs
3 slices white bread
30g apricots, finely chopped
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
30g seedless raisins
25g blanched almonds, chopped
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp vinegar
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
5ml garam masala
5ml turmeric powder
6 bay leaves

Method

Fry onions in oil (or butter) until lightly golden. Add the minced meat and cook over medium heat until it browns. Dish up.

Mix together 60ml milk, one egg and the bread. Stir well and add apricots, apple, raisins, almonds, apricot jam, curry powder, vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic and garam masala. Add the meat mixture and stir lightly with a fork.

Turn into a greased ovenproof dish. Press bay leaves onto the meat mixture.

Bake at 160 ºC for 40 to 45 minutes. Whisk the remaining (three) eggs, (240ml) milk and turmeric powder. Season to taste.

Pour over meat and continue to bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until set and golden.

Serve with rice, chutney (spicy fruit chutney) or sambal.

Note
The South African sambal is not hot; it’s a blend of finely dicedgreen peppers, onions and tomatoes tossed with white wine vinegar.