Bobotie (South African Curry Beef Casserole)

Name: Bobotie (South African Curry Beef Casserole)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tbsp Butter; 1 piece Onion; to taste Salt; 2 tbsp Curry Powder; 1 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Cumin; ½ tsp Black Pepper; 1 lb Ground Beef; 1 piece Bay Leaf; 1 tbsp Tomato Paste; 3 cloves Minced Garlic; 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar; 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce; ¼ cup Fruit Chutney; 3 slices White Bread; 1 cup Milk; 2 pieces Large Egg; ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper; ¼ tsp Nutmeg

SOUTH AFRICAN·NON-VEGSource

A flavorful South African curry beef casserole baked with a creamy egg topping and bay leaves.

1h 10m4Servings

Nutrition

700kcal

26gProtein

43gCarbs

48gFat

Ingredients

BOBOTIE BASE

Olive Oil

2 tbsp

Butter

1 tbsp

Onion

1 piece

Salt

to taste

Curry Powder

2 tbsp

Turmeric

1 tsp

Cumin

1 tsp

Black Pepper

½ tsp

Ground Beef

1 lb

Bay Leaf

1 piece

Tomato Paste

1 tbsp

Minced Garlic

3 cloves

Red Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp

Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp

Fruit Chutney

¼ cup

CUSTARD TOPPING

White Bread

3 slices

Milk

1 cup

Large Egg

2 pieces

Cayenne Pepper

¼ tsp

Nutmeg

¼ tsp

Instructions

1Sauté Aromatics and Spices

10m

Sauté Onions

Heat olive oil and butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and salt, and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Adding salt draws out moisture and helps them cook faster.

Toast Spices

Add curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper to the skillet. Stir and cook for another minute until fragrant, toasting the spices.

2Brown the Beef

10m

Add Beef and Seasonings

Add the ground beef to the skillet. Break it up with a spoon and stir it into the onions and spices. Add the bay leaf, tomato paste, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook Beef Mixture

Cook, stirring and breaking up the beef, until it is browned and crumbly, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat if desired.

3Incorporate Chutney and Simmer

Add Chutney

Stir in the fruit chutney. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer gently for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

4Prepare Custard Topping

Soak Bread

Cut the crusts off the white bread slices and place them in a separate bowl. Pour 1 cup of cold fresh milk over the bread and let it soak for about 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess milk.

Whisk Custard

In the same bowl with the soaked bread, add the remaining 1 cup of milk, 2 large eggs, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk very thoroughly until well combined and no white streaks remain.

5Assemble and Bake

45m

Add Custard to Base

Pour the custard mixture evenly over the beef mixture in the skillet. Gently spread the soaked bread pieces into the custard, mashing and smashing them in until they disappear.

Garnish and Bake

Top the bobotie with 3 bay leaves, arranged in a triangle. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and set.

Rest Before Serving

Remove from oven and let the bobotie rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

For a more pronounced bay leaf flavor, consider adding the bay leaves after the custard topping has been poured over the meat mixture.

Adjust the amount of fruit chutney to your preference for sweetness; some recipes use up to 1/2 cup.

Ensure the bread is thoroughly soaked and mashed into the custard to create a smooth, cohesive topping.

If the topping starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the dish with foil.

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