Bobotie ( a traditional South African pseudo-meatloaf/ casserole)...
My Gran and mom have made this dish ( among many others) for my family since I was tiny. It's a wonderful winter dish, as it's a little spicy and plenty hearty.
My Gran has told me that the trick to any curry is balance. The spicy must be countered with something creamy, savory with sweet, etc. Of course, preference toward either extreme is fine for those interested in a milder or spicier result. The way one achieves a delicious balance in terms of Bobotie is the mix of fruits and chutneys with the curry and lemon juice.
The dish is usually served over rice (Basmati is my favorite.)
Alright so the first thing you'll need is the meat. Ground beef works well, but lamb is ideal. In the case of beef, something pretty lean i.e. 85/ 15 or 90/10 is probably a good idea, as the dish is pretty heavy already. You'll need 2 pounds of whatever you decide.
You'll need some curry powder ( the stuff I use is called Rajah curry powder but it's from South Africa). The ingredient list on the side of the box just reads: Spices and herbs, which makes me feel they have a secret recipe. I'm not really sure of a good alternative in the U.S., but I'm sure any hot Indian curry powder you can find will work fine.
2 pounds of meat (mentioned above).
2 slices of bread (stale is fine) will be necessary.
1 c milk.
1 sizeable apple (baking apples probably work best, but whatever you've got will do.)
3 eggs- one for the mix, two for the topping- (free range? Support happy chickens.)
2 onions, chopped finely.
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
Yellow or golden raisins (they're called Sultana raisins in SA.) I love raisins. More than most things in my life. I usually go overboard here, but I would recommend at least a half cup of raisins, as it adds a necessary sweetness.
Dried apricots, chopped. This is pretty optional- If you're not big on dried fruit or apricots, you can always add banana slices as a topping for the finished dish to add a little more sweetness. Mainly the apricots just complement the chutney you'll want to add to the finished dish.
1-3 Tbsp curry powder (depending on the strength.)
1 Tbsp ground turmeric (mostly for color.)
4 or 5 pieces of whole anise, crushed.
6 cardamon pods, crushed.
1 Tbsp. apricot jam or chutney (preferably peach or apricot).
2 pinches each of salt and black pepper.
Lemon juice- maybe half a lemon's worth. Any kind of vinegar will work as an alternative to the lemon, but my Gran swears by white vinegar.
6 bay leaves.
Finally, and this is a deviation from the traditional- I think a little finely chopped cilantro would be great in the mix also. I think you can add cilantro to anything and it will improve by 200%.
Recipes I have found online call for almond slices to garnish, which is a nice trick. My Gran's recipe never included this but it gives things a nice crunch.
Okay, first thing on the list is to fry the onions and garlic. I have found that frying onions more slowly tends to produce a better result, but as long as they're soft, you're fine. Once ready, turn down the heat and add the curry powder to the onions. Stir until the powder is completely coating the onions. Remove the curried onions from the pan. Now add the meat to the pan and allow it to brown consistently. Again, a lower heat will probably be advisable since everything will continue to cook in the oven later in the process. Once browned, remove the meat. You'll want to let these cool slightly while you proceed with the next couple of steps in order to combine everything with your hands in a big bowl.
Finely chop or puree the apple. Soak the bread in 1/2 c of milk. With clean hands (and especially fingernails) squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and crumble into a large mixing bowl with the meat, curried onions and garlic, salt and pepper, the chopped apple, 1 egg, crushed spices (except the bay leaves), the tablespoon of jam or chutney, lemon juice, apricots, and raisins. Mix with hands (fun, right?) until evenly combined.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out a large, shallow baking pan (glass is best). Conservatively oil the bottom and sides and evenly spread the meat mixture into the dish. Stick the bay leaves in even intervals into the mixture, standing erect. Cover with tinfoil. Bake for half an hour.
Meanwhile, beat the remaining two eggs with the rest of the milk and the turmeric. After the first half hour of baking, pour the egg mixture atop the meat mixture. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake, uncovered now, for an additional 15 minutes or until the eggs have set.
Done. Easy. Delicious.
To top the finished dish, I would recommend shaved coconut, sliced bananas, and plenty of chutney. A couple of toppings (sambals) my Gran suggests for curry (although this isn't quite curry, they would compliment the dish well) is a sort of salsa made from chopped tomatoes, chopped onion and vinegar, and cilantro. Cucumber mixed with Greek or savory yogurt is great to control the burn of spicier meals. I also found a great one online mixing pineapple and coconut milk... If you are having trouble finding chutney (or don't want to shell out 5 bucks for a jar at the grocery store) You can mix apricot jam with vinegar, and onions, or just use the jam plain.
Drink Recipe:( Sorry if this is simpler or trashier than what you guys had in mind)
Beer Shandy
Super simple: I'm not a big mixed-drink fan, and some might consider the following idea girly, but I think It's delicious. It also does a lot for really cheap beer. I would recommend Carling Black Label (about 3 bucks for a six pack in RI).
Simply add equal parts of the cheapest beer you can find to some great home-made Lemonade (If you couldn't be bothered, use Newman's Own, it's perfect for this)...
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a little mint if you're trying to woo someone but considering the ease of preparation and cheap beer involved here, you'll have a hard time impressing anyone...Still, it's delicious in the middle of summer when you're on a low budget.
My Gran and mom have made this dish ( among many others) for my family since I was tiny. It's a wonderful winter dish, as it's a little spicy and plenty hearty.
My Gran has told me that the trick to any curry is balance. The spicy must be countered with something creamy, savory with sweet, etc. Of course, preference toward either extreme is fine for those interested in a milder or spicier result. The way one achieves a delicious balance in terms of Bobotie is the mix of fruits and chutneys with the curry and lemon juice.
The dish is usually served over rice (Basmati is my favorite.)
Alright so the first thing you'll need is the meat. Ground beef works well, but lamb is ideal. In the case of beef, something pretty lean i.e. 85/ 15 or 90/10 is probably a good idea, as the dish is pretty heavy already. You'll need 2 pounds of whatever you decide.
You'll need some curry powder ( the stuff I use is called Rajah curry powder but it's from South Africa). The ingredient list on the side of the box just reads: Spices and herbs, which makes me feel they have a secret recipe. I'm not really sure of a good alternative in the U.S., but I'm sure any hot Indian curry powder you can find will work fine.
2 pounds of meat (mentioned above).
2 slices of bread (stale is fine) will be necessary.
1 c milk.
1 sizeable apple (baking apples probably work best, but whatever you've got will do.)
3 eggs- one for the mix, two for the topping- (free range? Support happy chickens.)
2 onions, chopped finely.
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
Yellow or golden raisins (they're called Sultana raisins in SA.) I love raisins. More than most things in my life. I usually go overboard here, but I would recommend at least a half cup of raisins, as it adds a necessary sweetness.
Dried apricots, chopped. This is pretty optional- If you're not big on dried fruit or apricots, you can always add banana slices as a topping for the finished dish to add a little more sweetness. Mainly the apricots just complement the chutney you'll want to add to the finished dish.
1-3 Tbsp curry powder (depending on the strength.)
1 Tbsp ground turmeric (mostly for color.)
4 or 5 pieces of whole anise, crushed.
6 cardamon pods, crushed.
1 Tbsp. apricot jam or chutney (preferably peach or apricot).
2 pinches each of salt and black pepper.
Lemon juice- maybe half a lemon's worth. Any kind of vinegar will work as an alternative to the lemon, but my Gran swears by white vinegar.
6 bay leaves.
Finally, and this is a deviation from the traditional- I think a little finely chopped cilantro would be great in the mix also. I think you can add cilantro to anything and it will improve by 200%.
Recipes I have found online call for almond slices to garnish, which is a nice trick. My Gran's recipe never included this but it gives things a nice crunch.
Okay, first thing on the list is to fry the onions and garlic. I have found that frying onions more slowly tends to produce a better result, but as long as they're soft, you're fine. Once ready, turn down the heat and add the curry powder to the onions. Stir until the powder is completely coating the onions. Remove the curried onions from the pan. Now add the meat to the pan and allow it to brown consistently. Again, a lower heat will probably be advisable since everything will continue to cook in the oven later in the process. Once browned, remove the meat. You'll want to let these cool slightly while you proceed with the next couple of steps in order to combine everything with your hands in a big bowl.
Finely chop or puree the apple. Soak the bread in 1/2 c of milk. With clean hands (and especially fingernails) squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and crumble into a large mixing bowl with the meat, curried onions and garlic, salt and pepper, the chopped apple, 1 egg, crushed spices (except the bay leaves), the tablespoon of jam or chutney, lemon juice, apricots, and raisins. Mix with hands (fun, right?) until evenly combined.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out a large, shallow baking pan (glass is best). Conservatively oil the bottom and sides and evenly spread the meat mixture into the dish. Stick the bay leaves in even intervals into the mixture, standing erect. Cover with tinfoil. Bake for half an hour.
Meanwhile, beat the remaining two eggs with the rest of the milk and the turmeric. After the first half hour of baking, pour the egg mixture atop the meat mixture. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake, uncovered now, for an additional 15 minutes or until the eggs have set.
Done. Easy. Delicious.
To top the finished dish, I would recommend shaved coconut, sliced bananas, and plenty of chutney. A couple of toppings (sambals) my Gran suggests for curry (although this isn't quite curry, they would compliment the dish well) is a sort of salsa made from chopped tomatoes, chopped onion and vinegar, and cilantro. Cucumber mixed with Greek or savory yogurt is great to control the burn of spicier meals. I also found a great one online mixing pineapple and coconut milk... If you are having trouble finding chutney (or don't want to shell out 5 bucks for a jar at the grocery store) You can mix apricot jam with vinegar, and onions, or just use the jam plain.
Drink Recipe:( Sorry if this is simpler or trashier than what you guys had in mind)
Beer Shandy
Super simple: I'm not a big mixed-drink fan, and some might consider the following idea girly, but I think It's delicious. It also does a lot for really cheap beer. I would recommend Carling Black Label (about 3 bucks for a six pack in RI).
Simply add equal parts of the cheapest beer you can find to some great home-made Lemonade (If you couldn't be bothered, use Newman's Own, it's perfect for this)...
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a little mint if you're trying to woo someone but considering the ease of preparation and cheap beer involved here, you'll have a hard time impressing anyone...Still, it's delicious in the middle of summer when you're on a low budget.
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