Bobotie(pronounced as boo-boo-ti) is a traditional South African dish, similar to baked meatloaf, spiced with curry. Its origin is believed to have come from our Dutch ancestors, with a Malaysian flair. It is one of my favourite dishes to make with minced meat.

This Bobotie recipe is a simple variation of the more traditional one where one uses a variety of spices. We are not a spice-loving family, so we prefer this simple version. Traditionally, this Bobotie dish is served with yellow rice and raisins, but once again, we love our normal brown rice better. And some people serve it with slices of banana. It cleans the palette after the curry taste, they say…

Ingredients

500g minced meat

1 thick slice of bread

250ml milk

1 onion(chopped)

37.5ml lemon juice

10ml oil

10ml curry powder

5ml salt

5ml sugar

Pinch of pepper

2 eggs

12.5ml apricot jam/jelly or chutney

Method

• Soak the bread in the milk
• Brown the onion in the oil in a pan
• Add the meat
• Mix the lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and curry powder together
• Add mixture to the meat
• Add the bread and 150ml of the milk to the meat and press with a fork to make a fine mixture

• Add one egg and the jam/jelly/chutney
• Pour into an oven dish
• Bake for 10 minutes at 180’C
• Whisk the remaining egg and milk together
• Take out the dish from the oven and pour the egg mixture on top
• Bake for another 30 minutes or until firm
• Garnish with lemon leaves if desired
• Serve with (yellow) rice and enjoy!

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