Bobotie is a South African casserole with curried ground beef at the bottom and a thin layer of egg custard on top.
This version comes from my friend Rebecca Bourhill, who shared her delicious recipe (it's actually her grandmother's recipe - how cool is that!?) with me as part of her South African contribution to my Taste Of The Place cookbook.
If you would like to learn a bit more about South African cuisine, hop over to Rebecca's article all about it at A Taste Of South Africa.
Bobotie's roots in South Africa date back to the 17th century. Dutch traders set up camp in the area that is now Cape Town as a stopping point on their journeys back and forth to Indonesia. The traders brought spices, cooking techniques, and recipes with them. While the specifics are a bit vague, it is thought by some that the original bobotie recipe came from Indonesia and was adapted to fit the available ingredients.
Today many consider bobotie to be the national dish of South Africa, and it has become popular on menus featuring South African cuisine all over the world.
In my opinion, it is the curry powder and the bay leaves that impact the flavor of this dish most - so use the best quality that you can. You will see links to my favorites in the recipe below.
I like to prepare and bake this recipe in a cast iron skillet (affiliate link) - it can go from stovetop to oven, and even looks beautiful on the table. Plus it makes for fewer dishes to wash later!
I am a student, and in my spare time, there is no better place to be than in the kitchen and around food. Being welcomed into many top South African Restaurants for work experience has expanded my knowledge about food.
As a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassador, I keep my recipes homey and simple to follow, to encourage people to cook from scratch. Whether I go out for a weekend away or an outing to our greengrocer, it inspires me to create a new dish.
Learn more about Rebecca HERE.
PrintThis classic dish from South Africa, Bobotie (pronounced ba-bo-tea), is made with ground beef seasoned to perfection, and a creamy, decadent topping. It is rich, savory, spicy, aromatic, and zingy. A comforting meal, full of the flavors of Africa!
In my opinion, it is the curry powder and the bay leaves that impact the flavor of this dish most - so use the best quality that you can.
I like to prepare and bake this recipe in a cast iron skillet (affiliate link) - it can go from stovetop to oven, and even looks beautiful on the table. Plus it makes for fewer dishes to wash later!