A delicious and comforting South African bobotie recipe, made with curried minced beef, fruit, and a savoury egg custard topping, which is baked in the oven until golden.
Flavourful, punchy, and something a little bit different to the usual minced beef recipes of chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognese, cottage pie, and keema, which tend to do weekly rotations in our house!
Often considered the national dish of South Africa, bobotie (pronounced 'ba-boor-tea') originates from the Cape Malay community, which has also given rise to a number of other dishes that are now considered core to South African cooking, including sosaties and bredie!
Essentially, this easy bobotie recipe is a delicious mixture of curried minced meat and fruit (golden raisins are typical) with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka.
Best of all it's really yummy, and the kids always request seconds (which is a win in my book)!
👩🍳 Looking for another easy recipe that uses minced beef? Try my easy lasagne with a cheat's white sauce!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- It's a delicious and unique dish: Bobotie is a South African recipe that combines Dutch and Malay influences to create a uniquely flavoured dish. It's both sweet and savoury, with a hint of spice.
- It's easy to make: It's relatively easy to make and requires simple ingredients that can be found in most large supermarkets.
- It's a healthy dish: Made with lean minced beef, fruit, and eggs, it's a good source of protein and other nutrients, and it can be served with a side of vegetables and rice to make a complete and balanced meal.
- It's a great way to try something new: If you're looking to expand your culinary horizons, then bobotie is a great place to start. It's a beef mince recipe that's a little bit different, and not commonly found in most restaurants.
🛒 Ingredients
- Beef Mince - 500g of 10% fat minced beef.
- Bread - 1 slice of thick white bread. White bread absorbs the milk much better than wholemeal.
- Milk - full-fat or semi skimmed milk to soak the bread.
- Butter - for frying the onion and garlic.
- Onion - 1 medium onion, chopped finely.
- Garlic - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
- Curry Paste - I use tikka curry paste, but if you like your food spicy, use madras curry paste instead. Swap for curry powder if you prefer to use that.
- Cumin - for flavour.
- Apple - 1 Granny Smith apple, grated. Squeeze out excess moisture using a clean tea towel.
- Worcestershire Sauce - adds a savoury flavour to the dish.
- Mango Chutney - 2 tablespoons gives the dish a delicious fruity flavour. You could also use apricot jam.
- Bay Leaves - 2 fresh or dried bay leaves.
For the egg topping;
- Eggs - 2 large free-range eggs at room temperature.
- Double Cream - creates the savoury egg custard topping. Milk could be used instead, but has a tendancy to sink into the mince if you haven't packed it tightly enough into the baking dish.
- Milk - reserved from soaking the bread.
- Nutmeg - a small pinch of grated nutmeg.
🔪 How to make South African bobotie
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Soak the bread in milk in a shallow bowl.
Two: Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic on a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.
Three: Add in the minced beef and cook until it has changed colour.
Four: Mix in the curry paste, cumin, grated apple, mango chutney, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves.
Five: Simmer for 5 minutes.
Six: Squeeze the milk from the slice of bread, being careful to reserve this milk as you will need it for the topping, and add it to the minced beef. Stir thoroughly until the bread is combined.
Seven: Spoon the mixture into an oven-proof baking dish and pack down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Eight: In a jug, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg and reserved milk and pour onto the beef mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the topping is golden. Garnish with extra bay leaves if you like.
💭 Top tips
- Pack down the beef mixture: When you're layering the beef mixture and custard topping, make sure to pack down the beef mixture firmly into the baking dish. This will ensure that the custard stays on top of the dish and doesn't sink to the bottom during baking.
- Prepare the beef mixture ahead of time: To save time on the day of cooking, consider preparing the beef mixture ahead of time. Let it cool down completely before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. You can also freeze the curried beef mince if you want to make it even further in advance.
- Use good quality spices: The key to a delicious bobotie is in the spices. Make sure to use good quality curry powder and cumin to give your dish a great flavour.
- Serve with sides: Bobotie is often served with yellow rice and chutney, but you can also serve it with other sides like roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Bobotie is typically served with fluffy yellow rice and tangy tomato sambal. While these sides are a classic choice, you can also switch things up by adding a fresh rocket salad or serving up seasonal green vegetables such as roasted Tenderstem broccoli or asparagus.
📖 Variations
- Double the recipe: If you're feeding a crowd, simply double the recipe to ensure everyone gets a generous serving.
- Add dried fruit: For an extra burst of sweetness and texture, add a handful of chopped dried apricots or raisins to the beef mixture before baking.
- Garnish with pine nuts: Toasted pine nuts add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavour to the dish. Sprinkle them over the top of the baked bobotie before serving.
- Add some heat: To make the dish spicier, use hot curry powder and add a chopped red chilli.
- Use lamb instead: Bobotie can also be made with lamb (minced lamb) instead of beef. Lamb adds a unique flavour to the dish and pairs well with the sweet and savoury spices.
- Vegetarian option: If you are vegetarian or looking for a meat-free alternative, swap the minced beef with lentils or Quorn mince. Add some extra veggies like sweet potato, butternut squash or carrot to the mixture for more flavour and texture.
- Feta cheese: For a twist on the traditional recipe, try adding crumbled feta cheese to the beef mixture before baking. This will add a creamy, tangy flavour to the dish.
🥡 Storage
Store - leftover bobotie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure the dish has cooled down to room temperature before storing.
Reheat - preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and place the dish in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot.
Freeze - it's best to freeze the beef mince only as the egg topping will change texture upon freezing. The beef mince can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before adding the egg topping and baking.
❓ FAQs
Bobotie is a traditional South African dish that originated from the Cape Malay community. It is a baked dish made with spiced minced meat and topped with a custard-like mixture.
A dish of minced meat with curry and condiments.
The minced beef part of the recipe should be tightly packed into the baking dish and thus it resembles the consistency of meatloaf. The savoury egg custard topping is light and mousse-like in texture.
Traditional side dishes that go well with bobotie include yellow rice and tomato sambal. You can also serve a green side salad or seasonal vegetables like roasted broccoli or asparagus for a fresh and healthy meal.
😋Related recipes
More savoury minced beef recipes from the blog!
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Recipe
Easy Bobotie
Ingredients
- 1 Slice of White Bread
- 100 ml Milk reserve the milk for the topping
- 20 g Butter
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
- 500 g Minced Beef
- 2 tablespoon Tikka Curry Paste
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Green Apple grated
- 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the topping
- 2 Eggs large
- 150 ml Double Cream
- ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg grated
- Reserved milk from above
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F).
- Soak the bread in milk in a shallow bowl.1 Slice of White Bread, 100 ml Milk
- Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic on a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.20 g Butter, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves
- Add in the minced beef and cook until it has changed colour.500 g Minced Beef
- Mix in the curry paste, cumin, grated apple, mango chutney, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.2 tablespoon Tikka Curry Paste, ½ teaspoon Cumin, 1 Green Apple, 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Bay Leaves, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Squeeze the milk from the slice of bread, being careful to reserve this milk as you will need it for the topping, and add it to the minced beef. Stir thoroughly until the bread is combined into the beef mince.1 Slice of White Bread
- Spoon the mixture into an oven-proof baking dish and pack down firmly with the back of a spoon.
- In a jug, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg, and reserved milk and pour it onto the beef mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the topping is golden and set. Garnish with extra bay leaves if you like.2 Eggs, 150 ml Double Cream, ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg, Reserved milk from above
Notes
- Pack down the beef mixture: When you're layering the beef mixture and custard topping, make sure to pack down the beef mixture firmly into the baking dish. This will ensure that the custard stays on top of the dish and doesn't sink to the bottom during baking.
- Prepare the beef mixture ahead of time: To save time on the day of cooking, consider preparing the beef mixture ahead of time. Let it cool down completely before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. You can also freeze the curried beef mince if you want to make it even further in advance.
- Use good quality spices: The key to a delicious bobotie is in the spices. Make sure to use good quality curry powder to give your dish a great flavour.
- Double the recipe: If you're feeding a crowd, simply double the recipe to ensure everyone gets a generous serving.
- Add dried fruit: For an extra burst of sweetness and texture, add a handful of chopped dried apricots or raisins to the beef mixture before baking.
- Garnish with pine nuts: Toasted pine nuts add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavour to the dish. Sprinkle them over the top of the baked bobotie before serving.
- Add some heat: To make the dish spicier, use hot curry powder and add a chopped red chilli with the onion and garlic.
- Use lamb instead: Bobotie can also be made with ground lamb (minced lamb) instead of beef. Lamb adds a unique flavour to the dish and pairs well with the sweet and savoury spices.
- Vegetarian option: If you are vegetarian or looking for a meat-free alternative, swap the minced beef with lentils or Quorn mince. Add some extra veggies like sweet potato, butternut squash or carrot to the mixture for more flavour and texture.
- Feta cheese: For a twist on the traditional recipe, try adding crumbled feta cheese to the beef mixture before baking. This will add a creamy, tangy flavour to the dish.
Marlynn
I had never made this at home before but your recipe was a hit! Thanks for the easy instructions.
Jennifer
What a fabulous recipe! it turned out perfectly and was so full of flavor. I'll be making it again for sure!
Andrea
Oh this is perfect for my family. We are always looking for new and delicious recipes to make with ground beef.
Farah Maizar
Had never heard of this but looks so good! And simple to make, can't wait to try it out
Cathleen
Any time I see the word "easy" in the recipe, I know that I am going to love it. This recipe is so good, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Beth
How incredibly delicious! I took your advice and added some golden raisins. My family just loved it.