Bobotie

Bobbi · June 30, 2025, 7:03am

A must try dish

Prep:30 mins - Cook:40 mins - Easy - Serves 4 - Bobbi recommended

Pronounced ba-boor-tea, the national dish of South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka

INGREDIENTS

(some alternatives in brackets)

1 slice white bread

1 onion, chopped
12g butter

1 garlic clove, crushed
500g packet lean minced beef (250g pork mince+250g beef mince 20%fat)

50g cheese, grated
1 tbsp Madras curry paste
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 cloves
3 allspice berries, crushed (1 tsp mixed spice)
1 tbsp peach or mango chutney (apple sauce+strawberry jam )
2 tbsp sultana (a few chopped dates)
3 bay leaves

FOR THE TOPPING
150ml full-cream milk
sprinkling of cheese
1 large egg

METHOD

STEP 1
Heat oven to fan 160°C. Pour cold water over the bread and set aside to soak.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter, stirring regularly for 10 mins until they are soft and starting to colour.
Add the garlic and beef and stir well, crushing the mince into fine grains until it changes colour.
Stir in the cheese, curry paste, herbs, spices, chutney, sultanas and a bay leaf with 1 tsp salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

STEP 3
Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Squeeze the water from the bread, then beat into the meat mixture until well blended.
Tip into an oval ovenproof dish (24cm x 17cm and about 5-6cm deep).
Press the mixture down well and smooth the top.
You can make this and chill, 1 day ahead.

STEP 4
For the topping, beat the milk, cheese and eggs with seasoning, then pour over the meat.
Top with the remaining bay leaves and bake for 35-40 mins until the topping is set and starting to turn golden.

Serve with some roasted tomatoes and garlic and a nice mixed fried vegetable rice.

At our next shop we can get the ingredients together. We have made this a few times, it makes a nice change. I hope to come back with photos.

There is room for modification in this recipe.
Marmite develops flavour as does Tamarind paste.
You can vary the fruit used and some include nuts.

Bobbi · June 30, 2025, 9:26am

The above recipe suggests peach chutney, so as soon as I can get to it I’m going to post a simple and cheap recipe using tinned peaches.

coming soon

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Peach & chilli chutney

Makes two small jars

Ingredients (my cupboard version)

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion sliced (I used a red onion an ordinary yellow would have been better)

2 tins peaches (cheap savers version are fine)
chilli powder
ground ginger
ground cumin
nigella seeds
sesame seeds
2 tbsp granulated sugar
200ml vinegar

handful of raisins

Method

step 1

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins until starting to soften.
Separate peaches chop and add to cooked onion. Keep juice.
Add the remaining ingredients, increase the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the peaches have softened.
Add the juice of the tinned peaches with a handful of raisins and continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened.

step 2

Transfer the chutney to the jars, seal and leave to cool before eating. The chutney can be stored in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. Once opened, keep in the fridge and eat within 4 weeks.

Mrs5K · June 30, 2025, 3:24pm

That’s looking like a good recipe. I need to sort my shopping list out I think

MinnieB · July 1, 2025, 10:33am

I did make this a few years ago, but because I hadn’t actually eaten it before, didn’t know whether it tasted very authentic. Apparently there are many variations to the recipe. I’m hoping to go to South Africa next year, so should be able to sample the real thing!