Bobotie
Birmingham, United Kingdom · View all recipes
Overview
Bobotie is South Africa's national dish, a fragrant, mildly spiced minced meat bake topped with a savoury egg custard and baked until golden. The meat is seasoned with curry powder, turmeric, chutney, and raisins, creating a sweet-savoury balance that is characteristic of Cape Malay cooking. Bay leaves are tucked into the meat mixture before the custard is poured over, and they perfume the entire dish during baking. Bobotie is a dish that rewards patience, the careful spicing, the slow-cooked meat, and the careful baking that produces a perfectly set custard without cracks. It is served at South African family tables for Sunday lunch, at celebrations, and at restaurants worldwide as a window into South Africa's uniquely multicultural food culture.
AFN Heritage Note
Bobotie originates from the Cape Malay community of Cape Town, descended from enslaved people and political exiles brought from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bengal, and Madagascar by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th and 18th centuries. The dish reflects the meeting of Malay spice traditions with Dutch colonial ingredients, and its name is thought to derive from the Indonesian word bobotok. It has been documented in South African cookbooks since at least the 18th century.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
- 2
Add the onions for 5 minutes, then add the apple dice and cook for another minute.
- 3
Add the chopped beef and combine.
- 4
Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread slices, then tear up and add to pot.
- 5
Add the curry powder, raisins, almonds, lemon juice, egg and turmeric and stir well.
- 6
Place mixture in a greased baking dish and place bay leaves vertically in the casserole, bake for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven
- 7
Mix together the egg and milk, then pour it over the bobotie and bake for another 15 minutes.
- 8
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
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