Bobotie

Where This Goes Wrong

Cool the filling before the custard goes on, or it will curdle rather than set.

Mild curry powder is correct. Bobotie is aromatic and fruity, not fiery.

The bay leaves are traditional and perfume the custard as it bakes; remove them before eating.

Cooking Bobotie

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1. Soak the bread in the 150 ml of milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out, reserving the milk, and crumble it.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

2. Fry the onions in the oil for 10 minutes until soft and golden, then add the garlic for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Add the curry powder, turmeric, coriander and cloves and fry 90 seconds until fragrant.

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4. Raise the heat, add the mince, and brown well for 10 minutes, breaking it up.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

5. Stir in the soaked bread, apricots, raisins, both chutneys, vinegar, almonds and salt.

   Mark done

6. Add the reserved soaking milk and simmer 10 minutes until thick and no longer wet.

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7. Taste and adjust — it should be gently sweet, tangy and fragrant rather than hot.

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8. Spread into a 25 cm baking dish, level the surface, and cool for 20 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

9. Whisk the custard eggs, milk, salt and turmeric and pour over the cooled filling. Push the bay leaves in upright so they stand proud.

   Mark done

10. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes until the custard is set and golden. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

    Mark done Start 35 min timer

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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What's Going On Here

Bread soaked in milk and squeezed keeps the mince moist and gives the filling a soft, almost pâté-like texture rather than a granular one. The custard must go onto a cooled filling or it curdles from below before it has a chance to set into a smooth layer.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Refrigerate up to 3 days and freeze 2 months. Reheat covered at 170°C / 340°F for 25 minutes.

Ingredient Swaps

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

What to Serve Alongside

• Yellow rice with raisins
• Sliced banana, coconut and chutney as sambals
• A South African Pinotage or Chenin Blanc

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Chakalaka, South African Pap.

Common Questions About Bobotie

Bobotie Nutrition

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: where a line offers a choice of foods, only one of them is counted; part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

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