South African Bobotie
Bobotie is a beloved South African dish, blending influences from Malaysian and Dutch cuisines. This creamy, spiced meatloaf offers a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. For a quicker twist, it can be prepared as a stir-fry in a pan. The signature spice blend includes dried mango, known as amchoor, adding a tangy note. Pair it with a rich apricot-ginger chutney for an unforgettable taste experience!
Ingredients
Shopping list
- 1.5 lbs ground lamb or beef or mixed
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2-5 tsp sugar
- butter & oil
- salt & pepper
Suggested Sides
- Cooked rice, opt. colored with turmeric
- Apricot-ginger-chutney (recipe in the blog)
- Salad of your choice
- Steamed root vegetables
Culinary Spice Kit
- Pouch [1] Amchoor, coriander, onion, chili, cumin, turmeric, garlic, curry leaves, fenugreek, cilantro leaves, ginger, yellow mustard, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper
- Pouch [2] Lemon verbena, nutmeg. turmeric
Instructions
Meat
- In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp butter.
- Fry onions over medium-low heat until golden.
- Add meat, salt to taste, and Bobotie [1] spices.
- Stir-fry meat until it is crumbled and cooked.
- In a BOWL, whisk 1 egg and mix it with a 1/4 cup of milk.
- Add this egg-milk, sugar, and almonds to the meat. Mix well.
- Stir in vinegar and lime juice. Adjust salt.
- Fill into a non-sticking greased BAKING DISH (8 x 8).
Finishing
- Preheat the OVEN to 350°F.
- In a BOWL, whisk 2 eggs.
- Mix it with 1/2 cup of milk, salt to taste, and Bobotie [2] spices.
- Pour mixture over the meat.
- Bake in the OVEN for 30-40 minutes until the topping is no longer liquid and turned slightly brown.
Serve
- Serve bobotie with rice, and optional chutney and/ or vegetables or salad of your choice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
▪ Substitute meat with lentils (tips in the blog).
▪ Substitute almonds with other nuts.
▪ Add 1/4 cup chopped almonds and/ or 1 oz raisins to the meat or rice.
▪ Press 3-4 fresh or dried leaves (bay, curry, or basil) into the topping before baking or add later as garnish.