Easy Bobotie and Yellow Rice {Something Different With Mince}

This is an easy recipe for Bobotie - a delicious South African dish made of fruity spiced mince topped with a savoury custard. It’s something different to do with mince. I serve it up with fruity yellow rice and salad.

Feel free to add different dried fruit to the mince, like dried apricots, and tweak the spices to suit. I used mince beef but lamb or pork would also work well.

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Easy Bobotie and Yellow Rice

• Time:  15 - 20 mins hands on time + 15 - 20 mins cooking

• Serves: 4 adults

• Cost:  £1.10 per serving

• Calories:  701 per serving

Ingredients:

For the bobotie:

• 2 slices bread soaked in milk

• 500g lean mince beef

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon mild or medium curry powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon coriander

• 1 teaspoon mixed spice

• 4 bay leaves (plus extra for decoration)

• 75g / 3 tablespoons dried sultanas

• Salt & pepper to taste

• A little oil for frying

For the topping: 

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 200 ml milk

• Salt & pepper to taste

For the yellow rice:

• 300g basmati rice

• 75g / 3 tablespoons dried sultanas

• ½ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp salt

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 C / gas mark 6.

2. Tear up the bread, place in a bowl, and pour over just enough milk to cover it. Leave it to one side to soak.

3. Brown the mince over a medium heat in a dry pan. While the mince is browning, fry the onions in a little oil until soft.

4. When the mince is brown, add it to the onions along with the soggy bread (plus any drops of milk from the bowl), garlic, spices, sugar, bay leaves and sultanas. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Give it a good stir so the mixture is well combined and the bread is sufficiently mushed up and the spices and sultanas are evenly distributed. Simmer for around 5 minutes.

5. While the mince mixture is simmering, make the topping by beating together the eggs and milk. Season to taste.

6. Pour the mince into an oven proof dish and use the back of a serving spoon to press it down neatly & evenly. Pour over the topping and place a few bay leaves on top to decorate if you like. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until the topping is firm and golden brown.

7. While the bobotie is baking in the oven make the yellow rice. Make the basmati rice according to the instructions on the packet. Add the turmeric, salt and sultanas to the rice at the start of the cooking.

8. The rice and bobotie should be ready roughly at the same time. Serve the rice & bobotie together adding some salad and chutney if you like.