Easy South African Bobotie
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
696 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
South African
Easy South African Bobotie
Description
This recipe for Easy South African Bobotie starts by soaking crustless bread in milk to add moisture and softness to the ground beef mixture. The minced beef is cooked with onions, garlic, and a blend of spices including curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger, plus fruit chutney, apricot jam, and vinegar to balance sweet and tangy notes. Sultanas add bursts of sweetness.
The mix is placed in an oven-safe dish and topped with a custard made from eggs, salted and flavored with turmeric and bay leaves. As it bakes, the custard sets into a golden crust that contrasts with the moist and spiced minced filling beneath. The edges are particularly popular when browned and slightly crispy.
Bobotie is often served as a main dish and pairs well with rice or vegetables. It offers a complex flavor profile with sweet, savory, and mildly spiced elements combined in a single casserole. This recipe captures a classic South African comfort food experience.
Multiple ingredient substitutions are possible: soy mince can replace beef for a vegetarian version; gluten-free bread and checked chutney and Worcestershire sauce labels can accommodate gluten-free diets; and non-dairy milk and butter substitutes provide a dairy-free option. Baking should be monitored closely for a nicely browned crust, especially on the edges.
Ingredients
For the curried mince
- 3 lices bread This is based on 3 slices of shop-cut bread. If you are cutting the bread yourself, 1 x slice of about 3cm thickness will do. You can use white or brown bread, crusts removed
- 350 millilitre milk 12.3 fl oz
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 onion medium, sliced
- 4 garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic paste/chopped garlic, cloves
- 2 tablespoons curry powder add ½ tablespoon more if you like it spicy, mild
- 4 tablespoons fruit chutney heaped
- 4 tablespoons apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon worcester sauce
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, finely chopped or minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or other brown or white vinegar
- 1 kilogram ground beef 2.2 pounds
- 100 millilitre sultanas 6 to 7 tablespoons
- 1.5 teaspoons salt test for salt and add more if you'd like
- black pepper to taste
- 1 beef stock cube crumbled
- 1 egg lightly beaten
For the savoury custard topping
- 2 egg
- 1 good pinch salt
- 1 good pinch Turmeric
- 6 bay leaf
Instructions
Prepare the bread
- Roughly tear the crustless bread into pieces, place it in a bowl and cover with the milk. Leave this to soak while you get on with the rest of the Bobotie.
Prepare the curried mince
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F (160C fan/320F fan).
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or frying pan and add the chopped onions and garlic. Gently fry over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. About 4-5 minutes.
- Next, add the curry powder, fruit chutney, apricot jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric, chopped ginger, cinnamon and red wine vinegar to the onion mixture.Gently fry over low heat, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes until everything is heated through and smelling fragrant.
- Revisit the bread that's now been soaking in the milk for a few minutes. Drain the bread from the milk and roughly mash it with a fork. Keep the remaining milk, we will use it for the savoury egg custard topping later.
- Add the mince, soaked bread, sultanas, salt and black pepper to the spicy onion mixture in the pan. Then, crumble the beef stock cube into the mixture.Give it a good mix and gently fry, whilst stirring, until the mince has lost its pinkness.Tip: A wooden spoon works great for breaking up the mince.
- Remove the Bobotie mixture from the heat and stir in the beaten egg.
- Spoon the meat mixture into a greased oven dish of roughly 30cm x 20cm (12" x 8") and smooth the top.
Prepare the savoury custard topping
- Break the two remaining eggs into the leftover milk together with a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric. Whisk thoroughly until the egg yolks are fully incorporated and evenly blended.
- Gently pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the meat. Place the bay leaves on top. Try to space them out equally in a pattern of your choice.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The cooking time is a good guide, but ensure you have a bit of a crispy edge on the sides, that's the best bit of a well-baked Bobotie! Add on a few extra minutes if necessary.
Notes
- Use an oven-safe baking dish about 20cm x 30cm for best results; a cast iron pan can also go from stove to oven.
- Bake about 50-60 minutes at 180°C until the topping is golden and edges have a crispy crust.
- For vegetarian bobotie, replace beef mince with soy mince such as Quorn.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free bread and verify chutney and Worcestershire sauce labels.
- For dairy-free, substitute milk with almond or oat milk and butter with a dairy-free alternative.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 696 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 696kcal | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 38g | 13% |
| Protein | 36g | 72% |
| Fat | 44g | 68% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Trans Fat | 2g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 211mg | 70% |
| Sodium | 1048mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 813mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 309IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 171mg | 17% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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