Traditional South African Bobotie

If you are looking to try something new, make this traditional South African bobotie. It is a delicious meal with an interesting history!

South Africa is a beautiful country with an incredible array of culinary traditions. This is because of the various cultures that settled in the area.

The country has a special place in my family's heart. My dad works in South Africa often. I have been lucky enough to travel to South Africa twice, and I am eagerly waiting until I can visit again!

While there are many dishes I love from South Africa, one of my favorites is bobotie (pronounced bah-boo-tee). I have managed to get a recipe from a friend of my family's who is from South Africa, so you know this is the real deal!

It is a dish that is believed to have originated in Indonesia and was brought to South Africa by slaves of the Dutch East India Company. Bobotie is a Cape Malay dish, which describes a style of cooking that blends Malaysian and African flavors and is unique to the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is now a staple of the South African diet, and with good reason - it is delicious!

How to Make Traditional South African Bobotie

While the full recipe instructions are available below, here are some tips to make this South African delicacy.

• First, soak the bread in milk. You want to use a bread that does not have a thick crust. A simple slice of white bread from the supermarket will work. While the bread soaks, sauté the onions and garlic.
• Next, add all of the spices, apricot jam, and chutney. The best chutney for this is Mrs. Ball's Chutney. It's a South African chutney that has the perfect blend of flavors. I would argue it is the best chutney I have found to date!
• While the spices are cooking with the onions, drain the bread from the milk and rip it into small pieces. Make sure you save the remaining milk for later. Add it to a large mixing bowl with ground beef and the sultanas and mix them together. Sultanas are yellow raisins that are smaller and juicier than normal raisins.
• Add the meat mixture to the skillet and cook it low and slow. This is important, because it will give the meat a tender, velvety texture. Once the meat is almost done, mix one beaten egg in with the meat. Now pour the meat into a greased baking dish and smooth out the top.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and milk with salt and turmeric for the custard topping. Pour it over the meat in the baking dish and place bay leaves on top. Place the dish in a larger dish filled with water. Bake until the top sets. It is important to use the second dish of water, because it will keep your bobotie from drying out.

Serve with more of the best chutney and yellow rice - enjoy!

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