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Back with Bobotie
Sadly, my month-long adventure in South Africa has come to an end. But what an incredible adventure it was. I will be writing more about my travels over at Wandering Fi in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you're wondering what South African food is like, read on.
South African cuisine encompasses a range of cultures that have all combined over the years: traditional regional tribes, Afrikaners, British, Cape Malay, and more. Meals seem to be very much based around meat (quite cheaply available) and a carbohydrate of some sort (rice, white bread, or pap). Pap is something akin to grits, made from maize meal. Spices and chilies are widely used, as are beans and pumpkin or squash.
Given the popularity of meat, it is no surprise that the braai (barbecue) is such a huge part of South African culture. I enjoyed several braais, and in addition to several meats, including the native boerewors (a form of sausage), also available were various dishes of rice, potatoes, salads, baked squash, breads, and chakalaka (a deliciously spicy relish which could also form the base for a very simple curry). The love of meat is also reflected in the wide supply of biltong (jerky) found in stores. Sitting in my kitchen is a multipack of various biltong (made from native deer and antelope as well as the more common beef biltong). Sadly, my ostrich sausage was seized at customs.
To make my return, last night I cooked a South African dish which I have not made for some years. Bobotie is of Malay descent. Similar to meatloaf, it is made with curry spices, almonds, and sultanas, then topped with a milky custard before baking. Although I served ours with brown rice, it is typically accompanied by yellow rice (cooked with turmeric and raisins), as well as various chutneys.
Bobotie (serves 6)
- 2 1/2 tbs butter
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tbs curry powder (more if you prefer)
- 2 oz shredded almonds
- 4 oz sultanas (these may sound odd in a meatloaf, but I promise the dish is not the same without them)
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbs vinegar
- 1 tbs sugar
- pepper to taste
- 2 lb ground beef or lamb
- 3 thick slices of white bread
- 10 fl oz milk
- 2 eggs
Preheat the oven to Gas 4 or 350F while you are preparing the ingredients.
Put the bread in a dish and cover with the milk.
Grease a large pie die with 1/2 tbs butter.
Melt the remaining butter and oil in a pan or skillet. Fry the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the heat and place in a large bowl. To the bowl, add the curry powder, almonds, sultanas, herbs, lemon juice, salt, sugar, vinegar, pepper, and raw meat. Mix everything together.
Squeeze the milk out of the bread, but do not throw the milk away. Mash the bread into the meat mix along with 1 beaten egg, then pour into the pie dish.
Beat the other egg into the milk and pour over the meat.
Stand the dish in a larger pan of water and bake for an hour.
Serve with rice and chutneys.
Bobotie