Bobotie with apple
Bobotie is a spicy South African oven dish with minced beef and a soft egg custard layer. In this version, apple provides a fresh, lightly sweet touch that blends beautifully with the warm spices. A fragrant classic that is easy to make and pairs wonderfully with rice.
Servings servings
Ingredients
Bobotie
- 700 g minced beef
- 150 g apple (peeled and finely chopped)
- 30 g raisins
- 350 ml whole milk
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 eggs
- 3 slices white bread (without crust)
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 4 tsp curry powder
- 35 g tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Cut the crust off 3 slices of white bread, cut them into cubes, and pour 100 ml whole milk over them. Let the bread absorb the milk. Finely chop 2 onions, mince 2 cloves garlic, and cut 150 g apple into small pieces. Grease an oven dish with olive oil.
Cooking
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan and sauté 2 onions for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add 2 cloves garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add 4 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 1 tsp turmeric powder and briefly fry together.
- Add 700 g minced beef and cook until browned. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix 150 g apple, 30 g raisins, 1 tbsp apricot jam, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and 35 g tomato purée into the meat and cook briefly together.
- Squeeze the soaked bread and mix it into the ground meat mixture until everything is well bound. Spoon into the baking dish and press evenly. Beat 3 eggs with the remaining 250 ml whole milk and season with salt and black pepper. Pour over the meat and distribute 4 bay leaves on top. Bake for about 40 minutes until the custard has set.
To serve
- Let the bobotie rest for 5 minutes and serve warm with white rice and, optionally, a fresh salad.
Notes
Traditionally, bobotie is made with chutney; apple offers the same sweet-fresh balance but with a milder, natural flavour. Leftovers are even more flavorful the next day and reheat well.
Nutrition
Calories: 673kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 40gFat: 42gSaturated fat: 16gCholesterol: 258mgSugars: 12g
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South Africa, straight from your own oven
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A classic South African oven dish with spiced minced beef and a soft egg custard layer, that is bobotie. In this version, apple provides a mild, fresh sweetness. Everything cooks together in one dish in the oven and is then easily served with rice and salad.
