Best 3 Bobotie South African Lamb Recipes

Bobotie, a South African dish with Cape Malay origins, is a unique and flavorful casserole that combines sweet and savory flavors. Made with tender lamb mince (ground lamb), fragrant spices, tangy fruit, and a creamy custard topping, Bobotie is a symphony of textures and tastes that tantalizes the palate. This article presents three variations of this classic dish: Traditional Bobotie, a Vegan Bobotie for plant-based enthusiasts, and a Bobotie Bake that offers a convenient one-pan option. Each recipe is carefully crafted to capture the essence of Bobotie while offering unique twists. Indulge in the rich history and diverse flavors of South African cuisine with these delectable Bobotie recipes.

Let's cook with our recipes!

SOUTH AFRICAN BOBOTIE

South African Bobotie image

A classic South African entree. While not particularly spicy, the dish has complex flavors with the sweetness of raisins contrasting the curry. Serve with yellow rice.

Provided by Michelle

Categories World Cuisine Recipes African

Time 1h30m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil, or as needed
1 onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
½ slice bread
½ cup milk, divided
1 egg, beaten, divided
¼ cup seedless raisins
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 ½ tablespoons chutney

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef to onion and saute until browned, about 5 minutes.
Soak bread in 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl, mash, and add to ground beef mixture; stir in 1/2 of beaten egg, raisins, vinegar, sugar, turmeric, salt, curry powder, and ground black pepper.
Transfer beef mixture to glass baking dish; insert bay leaves.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Whisk remaining 1/2 egg and remaining 1/4 cup milk together in a small bowl; pour over meat mixture and return to oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with chutney.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 230.1 calories, Carbohydrate 14.5 g, Cholesterol 74.8 mg, Fat 12.5 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 15.1 g, SaturatedFat 4.4 g, Sodium 467.3 mg, Sugar 9.7 g

BOBOTIE

Bobotie image

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation, and they spice it up even more with cumin, coriander and cloves. A similar dish was known in Europe in the middle ages after the Crusaders had brought turmeric from the East. When our first Dutch settlers arrived, Holland was largely influenced by Italian cooks, and a favorite dish was a hashed meat backed with curried sauce, spiked with red pepper and 'sweetened with blanched almonds.' There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which means long, slow cooking. Early cooks added a little tamarind water; lemon rind and juice is a more modern adaptation.

Provided by Lannice Snyman

Categories Beef Garlic Lamb Onion Bake Casserole/Gratin Lemon Raisin Apple Almond Winter Family Reunion

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

minced lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two
butter, vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) crushed garlic
15 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric
2 slices bread, crumbled
60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 egg
5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt, milled black pepper
100 g (3 ounces) dried apricots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
50 g (1 1/2 ounces) slivered almonds, roasted in a dry frying pan
6 lemon, orange, or bay leaves
TOPPING
250 ml (1 cup) milk
2 eggs
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt

Steps:

Set the oven at 160°C (325°F). Butter a large casserole. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric, and cook briefly until fragrant. Remove the pot from the heat.
Mix in the minced meat. Mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, sultanas (golden raisins) and almonds and mix in. Pile into the casserole and level the top. Roll up the leaves and bury them at regular intervals. Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F). Mix together the topping milk, eggs and salt (you may require extra topping if you've used a very large casserole), pour over and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. Serve with Yellow Rice and Blatjang .

BOBOTIE

Bobotie image

The South African national dish, bobotie, is a meat pie of coarsely ground lamb with plenty of curry, bay or lemon leaves and fruits, covered with a custard of milk and eggs, as homey and much loved as meatloaf is in the United States.

Provided by Marian Burros

Categories dinner, casseroles, one pot, main course

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 slice white bread
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds coarsely ground lean lamb
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 eggs
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely grated
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
4 small bay leaves

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl, and let the bread soak for 10 minutes.
In a heavy saucepan melt the butter and the oil; then, stir in the onions and cook slowly until they are soft and translucent.
Add the curry, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the lamb, and saute until well browned. Add the lemon juice, bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat.
Drain the bread, and squeeze to dry it completely, reserving the drained milk.
Add the bread, one of the eggs, the apple, raisins and almonds to the lamb. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well blended. Taste for seasoning.
Pack the mixture loosely into an ovenproof baking dish, and tuck the bay leaves underneath.
Whisk the remaining eggs with the reserved milk until it becomes frothy. Pour this mixture evenly over the meat, and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, until the surface has browned and is firm.
Serve directly from the pan.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 922, UnsaturatedFat 42 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 88 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 13 grams, SaturatedFat 43 grams, Sodium 571 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams

Tips:

For the perfect Bobotie, use a good quality mince. Lamb mince is the traditional choice, but you can also use beef mince or a combination of both.
Don't overcook the mince. Cook it until it is just cooked through, otherwise it will become dry and tough.
Use a generous amount of spices in the Bobotie. This is what gives it its characteristic flavour.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients. You can add vegetables, nuts, or even fruit to the Bobotie.
Serve the Bobotie with a variety of sides. Popular choices include yellow rice, sambal, and chutney.

Conclusion:

Bobotie is a delicious and versatile dish that is sure to please everyone at your table. It is a great way to use up leftover mince, and it can be easily adapted to suit your own taste. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give Bobotie a go!