Traditional South African bobotie recipe

Posted by Daniela Bonora on 3 June 2010

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.

Photo by Michelle Parkin.

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.

vBeat 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.