Cape Malay Bobotie with Apricot & Almond

⏱ 85 min · Serves 6

A South African classic: gently spiced minced beef enriched with milk-soaked bread, sweet apricots and toasted almonds, all under a set golden custard studded with bay leaves. Serve with yellow rice and a sharp banana-and-coconut sambal.

Per serving: 585 kcal · 36.0g protein · 30.0g carbs · 36.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices white bread, crusts on
• 350ml full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp curry powder (mild Cape Malay style)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 750g beef mince (or half beef, half lamb)
• 2 tbsp fruit chutney (Mrs Ball's if you have it)
• 1 tbsp apricot jam
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 80g dried apricots, chopped
• 50g flaked almonds, toasted
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper
• 2 large eggs (for the meat)
• 2 large eggs (for the topping)
• 6 fresh or dried bay leaves
• pinch of turmeric for the custard

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Soak the bread in 200ml of the milk in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions gently for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and all the spices and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the mince, breaking it up, and cook over a high heat for 6-8 minutes until no longer pink. Don't brown it too hard - bobotie should stay tender.
4. Stir in the chutney, apricot jam, vinegar, chopped apricots, most of the almonds, salt and plenty of pepper. Simmer 5 minutes, then take off the heat.
5. Squeeze the bread lightly, reserving the milk, and mash it into the meat. Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in 2 eggs.
6. Pack the mixture into a buttered 2-litre ovenproof dish, levelling the top but not compressing it too hard.
7. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs with the reserved soaking milk plus the extra 150ml milk, a pinch of turmeric and a little salt. Pour over the meat.
8. Tuck the bay leaves upright into the custard and scatter over the last almonds. Bake 40-45 minutes until the top is set, puffed and golden.
9. Rest 10 minutes before serving with turmeric-yellow rice, chutney and a banana-coconut sambal.