South Africa Travel: Recipe for Cape Malay Bobotie
Something to try this weekend - Cape Malay Bobotie
This is a wonderful dish to prepare and leave cooking whilst you enjoy the early evening TV. We particularly like “Strictly Come Dancing”, but the other side of the family go for “X Factor” - even here in Barcelona we can get all the British TV through our satellite dish. The wonders of modern technology! I definitely don’t like spending endless hours in the kitchen away from the family on Friday and Saturday evenings, so food like this has become “sole food” in our household …
INGREDIENTS
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 onions, peeled and sliced
* 2 1/4 pounds good quality lean ground beef
* 1 thickish slice of white bread
* 1 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon medium curry powder (or hot for the hale and brave)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt
* freshly grated pepper (about a half teaspoon)
* 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 1/2 tablespoons malt vinegar
* 1/2 cup seedless raisins
* 2 tablespoons strong chutney
* 2 bay leaves (or fresh lemon leaves if available)
* 2 medium eggs
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in medium sauté pan. Stir in onions. Cook over medium heat until transparent. Add ground beef. Cook until lightly browned and crumbly.
Soak bread in half the milk, squeeze out excess milk and mash with a fork - DON’T TOSS SQUEEZED OUT MILK! Pour it straight back into remaining milk. Set milk aside.
Add curry, sugar, salt, pepper, turmeric, vinegar, raisins, chutney to the beef mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish, and place bay leaves on top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.
Beat egg with remaining milk and pour over mixture approximately 25 - 30 minutes before end of baking time.
Serve with steamed rice (traditionally yellow!) and extra chutney.
Pure South African comfort food! Especially nice in winter, or cold with a salad in summer.
Serves: 6 Many thanks to Meryl Grebe at inmamaskitchen.com for this recipe
