Recipe for :

Having seen the Bobotie recipe from London based Italian Chef Paco Bardotti (click here) and my Mother's version under Special Recipes or Recipes with a Story (click here) I was contacted by Janet Knuppel from Johannesburg, South Africa, where the dish comes from to let me have the original recipe.

Janet describes the dish as:

"Bobotie with yellow rice, a Cape Malay traditional dish".

Janet suggests that if you are interested in further South African recipes you take a look at www.iafrica.com and then go to Henrie's Hotch Potch - he is the resident chef and has all the South African traditional dishes.

Ingredients

For the bobotie:
1kg minced lamb
125ml milk
1 thick slice of white bread, crust removed and soaked in milk
2 roughly chopped onions
Butter
Salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 chilli, finely chopped (optional and only if you like your food quite hot)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chutney
8 - 10 crushed almonds (optional)
3 eggs
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
6 bay leaves
1 orange, sliced in wheels
1 lemon, sliced in wheels
Oil for cooking

For the yellow rice:
2 cups rice
3/4 cups raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes, then drained
1 teaspoon turmeric
Dash of salt
2 sticks cinnamon

Method

The bobotie:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, onion and curry powder.
• Cook over medium heat for three minutes, then add the minced meat.
• Fry until the meat is almost done, then using your hands, squeeze the milk from the bread.
• Discard the milk and add the bread, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and chutney to the mince.
• Fry for a minute or so and then remove from heat.
• Take a pie dish and place three bay leaves, two wheels of orange and two wheels of lemon at the bottom.
• Now scoop the mince mixture into the dish.
• Decorate the sides of the dish with the rest of the lemon and orange wheels, wedging them between the mince and the sides of the dish so that only a third protrudes.
• If you like using almonds, push them into the mince.
• Beat the eggs and 125ml milk and pour over the meat.
• Put three bay leaves on top of the milk mixture.
• Place the dish uncovered in the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 160ºC.
• Serve with a plain green salad or chopped tomato, fresh chilli and onion, sprinkle with a little vinegar.
• Serve bobotie hot with the yellow rice.

The yellow rice:

• Place all the ingredients, including the raisins in about 750ml water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• If there is still excess water in the pot when the rice is tender, pour it out carefully.
• Dot the rice with a few blobs of butter and give it a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
• Cover and keep warm.

Serves 4

Janet Knuppel