♪
Bobotie, one of the best-known dishes of South Africa, a dish of Cape Malay, is like meatloaf with raisins and baked eggs on top, and is often served with yellow rice, sambals, coconut, banana slices, and chutney.
The daily food of South African families can be traced to the indigenous foods that their ancestors ate. Cookery emerged from several waves of colonization and immigration introduced during the colonial period by white European (Dutch, German, French, Italian, Greek and British) and their Indo-Asian slaves or servants. This includes the cuisine of the so-called Cape Malay people, which has many characteristics of Indonesia and cooking styles from neighboring colonial cultures such as Portuguese Mozambique. Food of the Cape Malays has been associated with South Africa since Malays first arrived in the Cape in the late 1600’s.
Corning Ware oval 6~7 cups 23cm x 18cm (9″x7″), 6.5 cm/2.5″ deep
Indian curry dishes are popular with lemon juice in South Africa among people of all ethnic origins; many dishes came to the country with the thousands of Indian laborers brought to South Africa in the nineteenth century. The Indians have introduced a different line of culinary practices, including a variety of sweets and chutneys.
♪
Bobotie
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
• 4 Tbsp panko/breadcrumbs
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 300 g/10.5 oz/ 1 medium~large onion thinly sliced
• 454 g/ 1 lb ground beef (soy granules can be good substitute for the vegetarian)
• 1 bay-leaf
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 75 g/ 1/3 cup raisins
• 100 g/ 12 pieces dried apricots -or- 3 Tbsp apricot or mango chutney, apricot jam
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp milk
For the top
• 30 g/ 2½ Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• pinch of turmeric powder
• salt & ground black pepper
• 3 small bay-leaves (optional – not necessary)
DIRECTIONS
◊ In a small bowl, add panko and 3 Tbsp of milk, mix well and set aside.
◊ In a medium-size, non-stick pot, add oil and heat on medium heat. Add sliced onion and stirring, sauté until edges start caramelizing. Add the ground meat. bay-leaf and stir well. After 2 minutes, add lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric powder, salt, pepper and stir well. Put the lid on and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
◊ Add soaked panko and mix well. Add raisins and apricots, stir, put back the lid and let it simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat.
◊ Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 160°C/325°F
◊ Beat one egg with 2 Tbsp milk. Pour over meat mixture, quickly stir and empty the mixture into the oven-safe baking dish (see illustrated dish) and spread it evenly. Make several inserts allover in the mixture with the end of a spoon.
◊ Sprinkle the roasted slivered almonds on the top.
◊ Beat well 2 eggs with ½ cup milk, pinch of turmeric, shake of salt, shake of pepper and pour over the meat mixture and almonds.
◊ Stick in or lay bay-leaves on top and bake for 25 ~ 30 minutes or until the egg is set.
~ Smaaklike ete! Lekker eet! ~
♪
♪
So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
♪
My like got erased like it does from 100’s posts! Hope all is well with you my friend~
All is well and it gets better when I see your beautiful face avatar. <3
I love a good bobotie & made yours today! I loved all of the flavours in here beautifully combined,…a big Yum, dear Fae!
Thank you, Sophie! I love feed back like this… I am glad you enjoyed my novice version.
This looks awesome, Fae. Do you think a non-dairy milk would work in the topping and dish. If so, what are your suggestions? I had no idea that South African food was so rich is spice and fun flavor!
Hi Shanna, Yes, I think any kind of milk will work. To moist the breadcrumbs you can use water, and also use water to beat the egg for the meat mixture. Or, you can use non dairy milk for all steps, including the top.
Bobotie! Sounds truly good as it looks! The recipes seems easy to cook too. I should try it, something new for the dinner
Perfect timing! My family is originally from South Africa (on my fathers side) and I went there for my 50th birthday and tasted this amazing dish. I have wanted a recipe for it for and never found a decent one – this looks delicious – I must try it as the dish is so tasty. Thank you for posting!!!
Great, Cindy! I’m glad.
Check out the yellow rice too! 😛
That looks like a fantastic dinner, count me in!
This is a complete meal in itself. Would love to try it ☺
We make this dish all the time in the winter months it is so comforting. Take care
Hi Bam, I love your cooking and tastes. Anything I can do to improve my recipe?
Delightful! I have made this for over three decades and find it a great dish for informal buffet entertaining. It was probably the first dish ex S Africa I attempted and led to my considerable interest in the fusion cooking of the country. Now I must admit I have always made it with lamb and apple instead of apricots. To me the bay leaves off my tree are mandatory . . . . shall try yours just as you have put it down next time around!!
Hi Eha, How lucky to have you own bay-leaf tree! One of the recipes I found also had called for minced lamb meat and cut apple. I shall try it that way next time. Please let me know anything else you can share with me.
This is so interesting Fae. I can surely sub the beef part with soy .
Thank you for your comment. I was wondering how vegetarians can prepare this. How about with lentils or chickpeas? I would be more than happy to add the ‘vegetarian variation’ comment in my recipe.
I would probably use soy granules which are dry and when cooked give a texture of minced beef.
This dish sounds so yummy, Fae!
This is a really interesting dish! I like the combination of sweet fruits and savory meat.
May I say that I enjoy not only the recipe and the photos (the last one is really yummy!!!) but even the cute name? Bobotie… I love the sound that this word makes!
Me too, Margherita! 😀 ))) Linda of La Petite Paniere thought so too. Let’s have bobotie for dinner! 😀 )))
looks fascinating!
Ahhh my favourite! Bobotie with ” begrafnisrys”. So proud to see our food out there. My sister at nowathome and I are forever trying out boboties where ever we can in restaurants and also making it ourselves. I have an interesting one where the bread soaked in milk is fried lightly with the mince and spices and I swear by that recipe.
I have seen your sister’s recipe, Yum! Since you have tried all kinds and you swear by frying of the soaked bread, what can I do to further improve my recipe?
This looks delicious, Fae. I love that you’re taking us around the world. This dish could be from anywhere, but it has a few things that make it distinctively South African. I love the top. I think I’m going to do that next time I make a meatloaf. Fusion!
Exactly, Amanda! I am so excited learning the cuisines I never knew anything about.
What a cute name for a dish and it looks super delicious and the best type of comfort food. Thanks for sharing!
I think so too, Azita! Very easy to make and oh, so flavorful too.
Delicious, Fae! I love Bobotie. I have made this several times and can’t wait to try your recipe! This is wonderful comfort food! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
Thank you. Maybe you have a better recipe?
I don’t know if mine is better…it is from a new cookbook called “The Flavour Principle”. I really liked it a lot. Maybe I will post it when I have a chance. In the meantime, I will try yours as I’m sure it will be delicious! 😀
It sounds so delicious Fae, I am loving the South African recipes and a bit of history too!
Yes, Suzanne. I was surprised as to how easy, flavorful and satisfying they are.
looks good! I´ll try it tomorrow!
It looks delicious, does it taste a little bit sweet? I’ve never had African food and this food sounds so It’s interesting! Thanks for sharing
Hi Fariba, If you add chutney or jam, I would think so. In this recipe, I used raisins and dried apricots. You will get bursts of fruity-sweet when you bite into raisins or the apricot. The other delight of the dish is crunchy nutty taste, when you bite into the roasted almond. It is a curry tasting meatloaf with bursts of surprises.
That looks so yummy!!!
Sounds and looks wonderful. thanks for the recipe.
This looks an interesting dish Fae, I’m curious to try it, I believe it’s uniquely South African
I thinks so too. Bursts of fruity-sweets and nutty crunch. 😛
We love Bobotie! I blogged about it a while ago too
http://nowathome.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/bobotie-traditional-cape-malay-dish/
I knew I had seen it somewhere. Your post is far better than mine with the tutorial and more ingredients. You being in south Africa, I am sure yours taste more authentic and elaborate. Thank you for reminding me.
I am sooooooooooo trying this…I need more SA food in my life!!
You are funny, Roy! 😀 ))) Let me know how you like it.
I will – it looks totally amazington Fae!!!
I like the name of this dish Fae “Bobotie”
The recipe looks awesome, flavors, spices and presentation. It looks like a mix of Lasagna and Hachi Parmentier!
Me too, Linda! 😀 ))) The food is easy to make, with bursts of fruity-sweet and nutty crunches… bobotie is a good name.
Delicious, I tried Traditional Tomato Bredie (Spicy African Stew)!!
http://bit.ly/1fiw09q
Ooo, I’d like to have your traditional tomato bredies with yellow rice! 😀 )))