Bobotie

Our national dish that is thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers. It is a minced meat dish that is simmered with aromatic spices and raisins, then topped with a savoury egg custard that is baked until set.

Ingredients

2 Onions peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
500g Beef or Lamb mince (or a mix of the two)
3 tbsp Curry Powder
1 tbsp ground Turmeric
2 tbsp Wine Vinegar
75ml Beef or Lamb Stock
1 large Tomato skinned & chopped
Salt
1 large slice of bread soaked in 200ml milk
30g Pine Nuts (or flaked Almonds)
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Chutney
1 Egg
4 Bay Leafs
½ cup Raisins

Method

Fry onion in oil until golden
Add mince and brown
Mix in curry powder, turmeric & vinegar, bay leaves, stock, tomato, raisins, pine nuts, sugar, chutney & salt to taste
Squeeze out milk from bread (keep milk for later), break into pieces and stir into mince
Cook uncovered for 10 minutes
Spoon into shallow gratin dish
Bake in oven at 180°C for 20 minutes
Beat together egg & milk and pour over meat
Return to oven for another 15 to 20 minutes to allow custard to set

Serve on iceberg lettuce leaf with fragrant saffron rice and tomato and onion salad

Notes

If you have a bit of extra mince, freeze it and use it later for a quick meal stuffed in a pita bread with freshly chopped tomato, cucumber, celery, cabbage or whatever other vegetables you have