I would like to describe myself as a culinary sojourner at this point because look at me exploring South African cuisine right in my kitchen! I tried my hands on this unique delight called bobotie (South African Meatloaf).
This dish is a flavorful and fragrant baked minced meat dish. It is a celebration of the diverse culinary heritage that makes South African cuisine so unlike any other.
While the internet has revealed this to be the national dish of South Africans, I have heard lots of South Africans say it is not regarded as a “national dish”. This disparity would owe more to the diversity of South African culture. Different cultures seem to have different dishes they regard as their “national” dish.
A few options noted as possibly owning the national dish spot are vetkoek, boerewors, or even melktert. Anyhow, let’s delve into how to make South African Bobotie.
Check out some other sweet and savoury dishes from our collection:
The Origin Tale: Making South African Bobotie (Meat Loaf)
Legend has it that Bobotie traces its roots back to the culinary fusion of the Cape Malay community, Dutch settlers, and Indonesian spice traders.
Picture this: a bustling kitchen filled with the rich aromas of aromatic spices, sweet chutneys, and the sizzling sound of meat on the stove. It’s a harmonious dance of flavors that has stood the test of time.
The minced meat is cooked in an array of spices and seasonings, and mixed with soaked milk bread before being transferred to a baking dish and topped with an egg custard mixture. The final product is more like a meat casserole, this can be eaten on its own or as a side.
Have you tried out our sweet Toogbei/Wet Ghanaian Bofrot/Puff Puff ? You should!
South African Bobotie (Meat Loaf) Ingredients
Some of the ingredients needed for bobotie are:
Ground Beef
This can be found in your local butchery, it is best to buy fresh meat and not the frozen kind. Nonetheless, if frozen ground beef is what you have available, thaw it to room temperature before cooking.
White Bread Slices
You will need 2 slices soaked in whole milk before adding to the meat mix. You might be asking, why bread in Bobotie? The addition of soaked bread does not just add texture to the meat mix, it also adds moisture.
Herbs, Seasonings and Spices
The spices used in this dish should not be scarce to find. The meats were seasoned with turmeric, salt, bouillon, paprika, and chili powder, and the final dish was topped off with bay leaves.
Egg & Whole Milk
Aside from the soaking of the bread in some milk as mentioned earlier, the top part of the bobotie is a creamy egg custard, egg and milk play a huge role here.
Aromatics
You will need some chopped ginger, onions, and garlic as these infuse lots of flavour and aroma into the meats.
Chutney & Apricot Jam
These give the final dish some added sweetness, although mild.
The traditional bobotie is made with some sultanas (yellow raisins) but the addition of this is optional. I skipped it in this recipe but feel free to add it to yours. For the final baking, you can use a deep oven dish or a cast iron skillet like me.
Have you tried out our sweet Toogbei/Wet Ghanaian Bofrot/Puff Puff , you should!
South African Bobotie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 lbs ground beef
- 2 slices of bread soaked in milk
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 2 tbsp chutney
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup of water
- Bay leaves for garnish
- 2 carrots grated
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 Tbsp chilli powder
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 cubes of bouillon cubes
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Get a deep dish, add in half cup of milk, soak your bread slices in the milk and set aside.
- Heat up a large skillet, add in 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
- Add in the chopped onions, garlic and ginger, fry till fragrant.
- Go in with your turmeric powder and continue frying for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in your grated carrot and fry with the onion and garlic mix for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
- It is time to go in with your ground beef, ensure to use your spoon or spatula to break down the big chunks into little ones.
- Season with the listed seasonings and spices and continue cooking the meats for about 15 minutes on medium to high heat.
- Add in your chutney and your apricot jam, keep cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Add in the 1/3 cup of water, let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze out the milk from the bread slices and add it into the meat mix, combine well and continue frying.
- Add in the leftover milk into the milk used for the bread, add in the 2 eggs, some salt and pepper, whisk till well combined and frothy.
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- In a large iron skillet or baking dish (this can be oiled up), transfer the meat mix before pouring the milk and egg mixture over it.
- Toss in some bay leaves for garnishing and then transfer into your hot oven, let it bake for 30-35 minutes, the time may vary depending on the heat of your oven.
- When taken out of the oven, let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
