Crowd pleasing Bobotie-style bake

This recipe is styled on the traditional South African Bobotie – and is easy to cook. Serve with the spicy rice.

Serves 10

This recipe is styled on the traditional South African Bobotie – and is easy to cook. Serve with the spicy rice.

5 Tablespoons butter 5 Tablespoons oil 2 Onions, chopped 1 Tablespoon crushed garlic 2 Tablespoons curry powder 2 Tablespoons ground turmeric 2 kg minced lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two 4 Slices bread, crumbled 1 Cup milk Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 4 Eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 200g Dried apricots, chopped 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped ¾ cup Sultanas 100ml Slivered almonds, roasted 8 Bay or lemon leaves

For the topping

2 Cups milk 4 Eggs 1 Teaspoon salt

For the spicy rice

4 Tablespoons butter 1 Tablespoon spicy curry powder 3 Cups Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice 12 Cups water Salt to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160°C. • Butter a large casserole dish. • 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 the onion mixture into the minced meat. Mix together the breadcrumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, sultanas (golden raisins) and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. • Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish or two smaller dishes. Level the top.

Roll up the bay leaves and bury them in the minced meat at regular intervals. Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C. • 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 spicy yellow rice. • While the Bobotie is baking, heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot. • Add the rice and coat. • Add 12 cups of water and salt and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.