Felicity Cloake's south African bobotie (2024)

FAQs

What is South African bobotie made of? ›

Bobotie is a South African dish similar to meatloaf but so much better. Ground beef is seasoned with slightly sweet curry, topped with a milk and egg custard, and baked until golden brown. It's delicious!

In South Africa, bobotie was adopted and adapted by the Cape Malay community – many of whom were slaves and labourers with roots in modern-day Indonesia – with the addition of curry powder, as well as the spices typically being transported by the Dutch East India Company from Indonesia to the Netherlands.

Bobotie is a baked mincemeat dish and one of the more recognizable foods to come out of South Africa. It's commonly believed that Bobotie was first derived from the Javanese dish Botok, as Dutch colonists brought the dish to South Africa from their settlements in Indonesia (née Dutch East Indies) in the 17th century.

Shiraz generally works well with spicy or ethnic foods (in addition to bobotie, it would work well with Jamaican jerk chicken or Lebanese merguez sausages) and also is a good match for everyday food like cottage pie.

(bʊˈbʊtɪ ) noun. a South African dish consisting of curried mincemeat with a topping of beaten egg baked to a crust.

Bobotie belongs to the Cape Malay community, who live primarily in and around Cape Town. These are Javanese people whose ancestors were enslaved by the Dutch and forcibly brought to the Western Cape as part of the Dutch East India Company's colonization of the cape.

fufu, a popular dish in western and central African countries and, due to African migration, in the Caribbean as well.

Another dish thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers, bobotie is now the national dish of the country and cooked in many homes and restaurants. Minced meat is simmered with spices, usually curry powder, herbs and dried fruit, then topped with a mixture of egg and milk and baked until set.

Considered by many to be the South African national dish, Bobotie (pronounced ba-bo-tea) is a meat-based dish and one of the most well-known examples of Cape Malay cuisine.

Today, South Africans enjoy not only beef, but mutton, goat, chicken and other meats as a centerpiece of a meal. On weekends, many South African families have a braai, and the meal usually consists of pap en vleis, which is maize meal and grilled meat.

What goes with Bobotie? ›

It is almost always served with "yellow rice" however; long-grain cooked with turmeric and often raisins, though it would also be nice, I think, with mashed sweet potato or roasted squash, and a glass of robust red like a local cabernet sauvignon, whose smoky fruit pairs well with the sweet gaminess of the lamb.

Ground meat

Bobotie / Main ingredient

Bobotie is a traditional South African dish that consists of a curry flavoured minced meat, topped off with an egg and milk based layer. Although its origins are not completely clear, we do know that it is a dish that beautifully demonstrates the fusion of cultures in South Africa with a colourful and fragrant result.

Another – generally cheaper and more convenient – option is to turn to the wines of the south of France on which north African wines are typically modelled. Provence's pale rosés are great with the multiple salads and vegetable dishes that kick off the typical Moroccan meal, while hearty southern Rhône and Languedoc ...

Bobotie. Another dish thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers, bobotie is now the national dish of the country and cooked in many homes and restaurants. Minced meat is simmered with spices, usually curry powder, herbs and dried fruit, then topped with a mixture of egg and milk and baked until set ...

Beef Biltong is thinly sliced dried, cured meat originating in Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. If we had to compare it to something, we'd say it was a little like beef jerky.