This is a delicious, moist bobotie recipe that my mother taught me. Traditionally, it should also include a handful of quartered almonds. I find this adds to the flavour and texture.
Traditional South African bobotie recipe
Serves up to eight people, but you can adjust it to make the recipe smaller.
Ingredients
- 1 fairly thick slice crustless bread (white or brown)
- 375 ml milk
- 25 ml oil
- 10ml butter
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 25 ml curry powder
- 10ml salt
- 25ml chutney
- 15ml smooth apricot jam
- 15ml Worcester sauce
- 5ml turmeric
- 25ml brown vinegar
- 1 kg raw mince
- 100 ml sultanas (don’t replace with raisins – they are too sweet; sultanas are much better for this recipe)
- 3 eggs
- pinch each salt and turmeric
- bay leaves
Cooking method
-
- Soak bread in milk. Heat oil and butter in large pan and fry onions and garlic.
- When onions are soft, add curry powder, salt, chutney, jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric and vinegar and mix well.
- Drain and mash bread and reserve milk. Add bread to pan together with mince and sultanas.
- Cook over low heat, stirring, and when meat loses its pinkness, remove from stove. Add 1 beaten egg, mix well, then spoon into a greased, 28 x 16 cm baking dish and level the top.
Beat remaining eggs with reserved milk (you should have 300ml, or a little more) and the salt and turmeric.
- Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top. Stand dish in a larger pan of water (this is important to prevent drying out) and bake, uncovered, at 180 degrees celsius for 1 hour or until set.
Serve with rice, coconut, chutney, nuts and bananas.
