Food & Wine News South Africa

#GreenMondaySA: Bobotie

Traditionally, bobotie is made with curried minced meat and an egg-based topping and is probably the closest thing South Africans have to a national dish. The dish has Cape Malay roots and everyone's mother makes the best version there is.
Image Supplied
Image Supplied

Ingredients

• One large onion, chopped
• One can lentils, drained
• 530g soaked soy mince (soaked in stock)
• 50g apricots, chopped
• 80g seedless raisins
• 20ml tomato paste
• Two tablespoons (30ml) smoked paprika
• One tablespoon (15ml) ground coriander
• One tablespoon (15ml) ground cumin
• One tablespoon (15ml) ground turmeric
• One teaspoon (5ml) mixed herbs
• Three tablespoons (45ml) Mrs Balls Chutney
• One teaspoon (5ml) mild curry powder
• Pinch of salt to taste ½ teaspoon
• 300 g silken tofu
• Pinch of Kala namak (black salt) to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon (2.5ml) turmeric
• One teaspoon (5ml) Dijon mustard

Inkstructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 °Celsius.
2. Sautee the chopped onion until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the lentils, the soaked soy mince, apricots, raisins, tomato paste, smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, 15 ml turmeric, mixed herbs, chutney, curry powder to a bowl. Mix it well.
4. Once the onions are sautéed, add the above mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and put in an ovenproof dish.
6. Put the silken tofu, kala namak, 1.25ml turmeric and Dijon mustard in a food processor and mix until smooth.
7. Place this mixture on top of your bobotie (soy mince and lentil mix) and cover the top of your bobotie.
8. Bake at 180 °Celsius until your tofu mixture on top begins to turn golden brown.

Recipe credit: Nikki Botha for HSI, Africa

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