Bobotie

This was declared the national dish of South Africa by the United Nations Women’s Organisation in 1954. It has a varied heritage: the Dutch brought ground meat to the local cuisine, the spices were introduced by the slaves from Indonesia and the presentation is reminiscent of English shepherd’s pie. Bobotie used to be made with leftovers from the Sunday roast

Preparation time :	30 minutes
Cooking time :	20 minutes to 25 minutes
Total time :	50 minutes to 55 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

25g Butter
1 Large onion, chopped
500g Minced beef
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2cm Fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp Garam masala
½ tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
2 Cloves
3 Allspice berries
1 tsp Dried mixed herbs
50g Dried apricots, chopped
25g Flaked almonds
3 tbsp Chutney
4 tbsp Chopped parsley
4 Bay leaves, plus extra to garnish
250ml Whole milk
3 Large eggs


50g Sultanas

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions until soft. Set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and fry the beef, without oil, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and add the onions together with all the other ingredients except the milk and eggs. Mix well and put into 4 x 300ml ovenproof bowls or a large ovenproof dish. Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon.
3. Beat the milk and eggs together lightly and pour over the mince mixture. Bake for 20–25 minutes for small boboties (and 30–40 minutes for a large one) or until the topping has set and is golden brown.