Bobotie is a traditional South African favourite with its roots in the Dutch Malay-style cuisine of South Africa’s forefathers. It is a mildly curried mince dish that is topped with an egg custard and finished off by baking in the oven. Bobotie is traditionally served with a fragrant yellow rice. While the Bobotie is the hero of this dish, simply by adding some traditional side dishes, you can transform this into a deliciously healthy bowl food meal that’ll keep you, your family and your guests coming back for more. We like to serve it with a simple white Basmati Rice so that the Bobotie flavours shine through.
Ingredients
Bobotie Ingredients
- Beef mince
- Brown Onion
- White bread
- Egg
- Milk
- Curry Powder – we use a Medium strength
- Currants
- Chutney
- Salt
- Granny Smith green apple
- Olive Oil
Bobotie Side Dish Ingredients
Carrot Raita
- Carrots
- Currants
- White Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
Banana & Yoghurt
- Banana
- Yoghurt
- Lemon Juice
Cucumber & Tomato Raita
- Lebanese Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Red Onion
Easy Cheat sheet tips to spice up your Bobotie
- Depending on how spicy you want to make the dish, you can add in extra curry powder or chilli powder
- This dish is best served with healthy fresh side dishes
- Add some bay leaves – max 2 – if you want some additional flavour. But beware, Bay leaf has a strong menthol flavour and this could overpower the fruity fragrance of the Babotie
- Prepare the side dishes while the meat is cooking in the oven
Fragrant Fruity Bobotie Bowl Feast
This Dutch Malay style dish is a traditional South African recipe which warms the heart and stomach of everyone who tastes it. It is a mildly curried mince dish with an egg custard topping that is best served with rice. Traditionally it is served with a fragrant yellow rice, but this is your choice. We like to serve it as a healthy bowl meal with fresh side dishes that truly compliment the fruity fragrances of the curry.
Ingredients
- Bobotie Dish
- 1Kg Beef mince
- 1 Brown Onion
- 1 Granny Smith green apple peeled and grated
- 4 tablespoons Curry Powder - we use a Medium strength
- 100g Currants
- 125ml Chutney
- 2 slices White bread
- 1 Egg
- 125ml Milk
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Custard Topping
- 1 Egg
- 125ml Milk
- Rice
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Yoghurt & Banana
- 3 Bananas
- 4 tablespoons plain Yoghurt
- 1/4 lemon squeezed
- Tomato and Cucumber Raita
- 1 Red Onion chopped finely
- 1 Tomato chopped finely
- 1 Lebanese Cucumber chopped finely
- Carrot Raita
- 2 Carrots
- 100g Currants
- 125ml White Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- Salt to taste
- Serve with
- Chutney
- Pappadams
Instructions
Bobotie Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Add the oil a large flat based frying pan and heat on medium
While the pan is heating add the milk and bread to a bowl so that the bread can absorb all the milk completely
Place the chopped onion and curry into the heated pan and stir constantly until the onions are well sweated and the curry releases its fragrances
Add the mince and stir-fry over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the meat is well coated with the curry, browned and crumbly
Add the grated apple, currants, the chutney and the milk soaked bread and stir constantly until the bread is well dissolved and well-absorbed into the meat mixture
At this point you can adjust the seasoning to taste - add in more curry powder or chilli if you want it to be more spicy
Take the meat off the stove and spoon into a oven proof baking dish
Prepare the custard topping by beating together the egg and milk until the egg yolk is completely mixed through
Pour the custard topping over the meat and prick the meat with a fork to allow the custard to sink through the layers
Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes
When the custard topping is golden brown in colour, the Bobotie it is ready for serving
Rice - This can be prepared while the meat is cooking
Add the rice and water to a microwave proof bowl
Add the salt
Cook in microwave for 15 minutes
Carrot Raita - Prepare at the start of your meal preparation so the carrots have enough time to pickle
Add the grated carrots and the currants to a deep bowl
Add the vinegar
Add the sugar and salt
Strain ahead of serving
Bananas and Yoghurt
Cut 3 bananas in to small slices and add 5 table spoons of plain yogurt
Add a squeeze of lemon juice, mix and keep in fridge until ready for serving
Tomato and Cucumber Raita
Mix together the tomato, cucumber and onion and set aside ready for serving
Serve with:
Fruit Chutney
Pappadums
Notes
For a more aromatic rice you can add a touch of tumeric when cooking. And for added sweetness you can add currants.
