Bobotie

This is one of South Africa's traditional dishes. Every time we make it I have to fight to get a photo before it is devoured.... as you can see, I still have not succeeded, but that's because it is so delicious. Even my 5 year old grandson, Caleb, loves it. He calls it, "That yummy meat and eggs with rice Grampa makes...".

This dish has been known in the Cape since early in the 17th century where it was constructed by the Cape Malay servants based on an Indonesian dish known as "bobotok", which consisted of meat with a custard topping that was cooked in a pan of water until the egg mixture set. It was originally made with the leftover meat scraps, chutney or fruit from the "Master's Table". The early Cape Malays would have used ginger, herbs, lemon rind, lemon leaves or bay leaves and nutmeg, but today curry powder is used, but don't forget to add a little nutmeg to the meat mixture and sprinkle a grating of this pungent spice over the egg mixture. Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit like apricots or sultanas - don't use raisins as they are sweeter than sultanas. Chutney may also be added to the meat mixture. Although not particularly spicy, the dish incorporates a variety of flavours that can add complexity. For example, the dried fruit contrasts with the curry flavouring. The texture of the dish is also complex, with the baked egg mixture topping complementing the milk-soaked bread which adds moisture to the dish.

I was taught to make this dish when I was 6 years old by my Mother's old Aunty Katie from Lichtenburg, in the northern Cape. She insisted it was not Bobotie without nutmeg and bay leaves !

Sadly, I cannot claim this as a handed down version from my Mother as she died quite young and never wrote her recipe down, just put it together from memory when she baked it. I have adapted this from recipes I have found and what I remember my Mother - and Tannie Katie - concocting. Anyway, here's my recipe, which can serve 4-5.

Ingredients:
1 fairly thick slice crustless bread (white or brown)
375 ml milk
12.5 ml oil
5ml butter
1 onion, sliced
5ml chopped garlic , or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 ml curry powder
5ml salt
12.5ml chutney
10ml smooth apricot jam
7.5ml Worcester sauce or soy sauce
2.5ml turmeric
2.5ml nutmeg
12.5ml brown vinegar
500g beef or lamb mince
50 ml sultanas (don’t replace with raisins – they are too sweet)

4-5 dried apricots, cut into strips
3 eggs
a pinch of salt
a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg
3-5 bay leaves

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, nutmeg and vinegar. Mix well.

Drain and mash bread - reserve the milk. Add bread to the pan together with mince, sultanas and apricots. 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, baking dish and level the top.

Beat remaining eggs with reserved milk (you should have 300 ml, or a little more) and salt. Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

Stand the dish in a larger pan of water (this is important to prevent drying out) and bake, uncovered, at 180˚C for 1 hour or until set.

Serve with rice, grated coconut, fruit chutney and sliced bananas.

P.S. I'll get a better photo next time we make it!