Every cuisine has comfort food, and bobotie holds pride of place in South Africa. Ground beef, lightly flavored with curry and raisins, is baked with a custard topping. Once cooked, it is served with a mishmash of sweet fruits, yogurt and chutney.
For the curry powder, use a madras style powder, commonly labeled "curry powder" in large scale grocery chains. The other key ingredient for bobotie is
Mrs. Ball's Chutney, a sweet condiment that graces many a table in South Africa. Luckily it's so popular, that it is exported globally and is not too difficult to find.
Serves 4-6 people
2
tbsp vegetable oil2
onions, peeled and diced2
lbs lean ground beef or lamb2
slices of white bread1
cup milk1
tbsp curry powder (madras style)3/4
tsp turmeric2
tbsp sugar2
tsp salt- a liberal grinding of freshly grated pepper
2
tbsp vinegar (malt, cider or lemon juice preferred)1/2
cup seedless raisins1/4
cup sliced almonds2
tbsp sweet fruity chutney (Mrs. Ball's preferred)3
eggs4
bay leaves
- Sweet chutney (Mrs. Ball's preferred again)
- Yogurt
2 - 3
cups of chopped raw sweet and/or crunchy vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers and pineapple1/3
cup of shredded coconut
Preheat oven to
350°F180°C
.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and onions and saute until softened and transparent. Add ground meat and continue cooking. As it cooks break it up with a spoon until it is crumbly and starting to brown.
While the meat is cooking, soak the bread in the milk. Once the meat is nicely browned, squeeze most of the milk from the bread and add it to the frying pan, crumbling it between your hands as you go. Reserve the milk for the custard topping.
To the meat, add all remaining ingredients except the eggs and bay leaves. Cook for a minute longer and then remove from heat. Transfer to a greased baking dish large enough so that the mixture sits about one to one and a half inches thick. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon so that it is flat and without gaps.
Today I am using beef. It's all browned and in the dish ready for the topping. I am making a half batch today, which is why it looks a little small
Add three eggs to the bowl containing the milk and whisk with a fork until well combined. Pour over the meat mixture. Top with bay leaves.
The custard and bay leaves are on and it's time to bake. I have used a few extra bay leaves today because mine are so small
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until the top of the bobotie is golden brown.
Place chutney, yogurt and your selection of chopped up vegetables and fruits on the table. Encourage diners to add them to their bobotie as they see fit. The sweet freshness from these extras will really liven up the dish.