Culture

My first taste of Bobotie and Yellow Rice was at a charity dinner with all African cuisine. This is a South African dish. My flatmate from Zambia also made it for dinner once. Both times I've had it, it was nothing but delicious and memorable, so I had a crack at making it myself. 

If you find yourself eating a lot of mince and toast, Bobotie is for you. Consider it an interesting twist on minced meat with a fruity, spicy tang from the chutney, spices and sultanas. It is baked with a creamy egg layer on top. The vibrant, sweet yellow rice pairs well with it. 

I don't know how many of you are ok with sultanas in mince or rice but trust me: it's good. Don't hate it until you ate it. Serves 3-4

Bobotie

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 onions, diced 
• 25g/2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg of beef mince
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder  
• 1 tsp of mixed herbs
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
• 2 tablespoons of chutney 
• 3 tablespoons of sultanas
• 6 bay leafs
• Salt and pepper
• 300ml of cream
• 2 eggs

Yellow Rice

• 1 3/4 cups of basmati rice
• 50g/4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Pinch of ground cinnamon 
• Pinch of ground cardamom 
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 5 tablespoons of sultanas
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of water

Method

1. Preheat oven on bake to 180C. Soak bread in cold water.
2. Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Fry onions in butter until they become soft, then add garlic and beef. Break apart the mince to cook the mixture thoroughly. 
3. Add curry powder, herbs, spices, 2 bay leaves, chutney, and sultanas. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 mins.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze water from the bread, then break it into the meat mixture. 
5. When the mince is browned and no longer pink, place mixture into a large oven proof dish. Press meat down and make sure the top is all level. 
6. In a separate bowl, beat eggs then add the cream and beat again to mix, season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs and cream over the meat mixture to create an even top layer. 
7. Place remaining bay leaves on top of the mixture then bake for 30 mins. Take out of the oven when the egg top is set and golden. 
8. To make the rice, place all ingredients in a large pan to boil. When the butter has melted, stir and reduce to a simmer. When rice has absorbed the water (add more water as required if it is still uncooked/crunchy) take it off the heat and put a lid on it, for it to sit it in its own steam for 5 mins. Fluff the rice prior to serving.