Bobotie

This much-loved South African dish is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit with a creamy, decadent topping. Best served with yellow rice (recipe below), stewed apricots, peanuts, and coconut.

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tablespoon of oil

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 slice day-old white or brown bread

• 1 cup milk

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• juice of one large lemon

• 3 tablespoons chopped mango chutney

• 12 blanched almonds, chopped

• ½ cup seedless raisins

• 4 pieces of lemon rind

• 2 pounds minced lamb or beef

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Brown the onions and garlic lightly in the oil and add the curry powder. Cook gently for about two minutes. Meantime, soak the bread in the milk and squeeze dry, saving the milk. In a large mixing bowl, add the onion mixture to the bread plus all the remaining ingredients except one egg. Mix well.

Step 2

Pack into an ovenproof dish that has been rubbed with butter. Bake at 350° F for one hour.

Step 3

Beat the remaining egg with a little of the saved milk and pour over the top.

Step 4

Bake a further 15 to 20 minutes until the custard is set and the top a golden brown. Serve with rice and stewed apricots.

Yellow Rice with Raisins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups boiling water

• 1 cip rice

• 1 stick of cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 tbsp yellow sugar

• 1 tbsp butter

• 90 grams seedless raisins

Instructions: Add all the ingredients except raisins to the boiling water and allow to cook slowly until almost done. Stir in raisins lightly and allow to steam over low heat.

Bobotie Recipe by Joseph Lelyveld from New York Times. Yellow Rice Recipe from "The South African Culinary Tradition" by Renata Coetzee.