In a home with children there are so many fun and celebratory dates in March, (St David’s Day, 1st, Dr Seuss birthday, 2nd, World Book Day, 5th, St Patrick’s Day, 17th) and I think it’s a great thing, because as Mothering Sunday (15th, this year) etches nearer, my heart grows heavier, and as the 1st of April approaches, I feel downright sad, thinking of my mother’s birthday.
One of the things that I think about when I think about my mom is life as I knew it, growing up as a child in South Africa, so this month I’m paying homage to my mom, and to my history, and taking the time to convert some of the nation’s favourite recipes from her old and tattered recipe book to Thermomix® recipes too.
There are a lot of Bobotie recipes online, and despite BBC Good Food’s instructions, it’s NOT pronounced bo-boor-tie, but bo-boo-tie. No R, please. The double ‘o’ is like the o’s in moor.
But yes, there are a hundred adaptations available online. This one is what I consider the original though. It’s from Magdaleen van Wyk’s The Complete South African Cookbook published in 1980. It’s a very mild bobotie, and while it’s absolutely delicious as is – and even better reheated the next day – we double the spices (flavour, not heat).
- 1 slice white bread
- 1 onion
- 90g blanched almonds
- 65g seedless raisins
- 1 tbs apricot jam (we adjust to 2)
- 1 tbs fruit chutney (we adjust to 2)
- 1kg minced beef
- 25g lemon juice
- 2 tsp curry powder (we adjust to 3)
- 1 tsp turmeric (we adjust to 2)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp butter
- 3 eggs
- 125g milk (plus about 60g)
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Soak the bread in half (125ml) the milk. Add the onion to the Thermomix® bowl and chop speed 5/10 seconds
- Add whole almonds and chop speed 5/ 10 seconds (adjust if using crushed or sliced almonds)
- Add raisins, half the mince, jam, chutney, lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric and salt.
- Squeeze the milk out the bread and add bread to bowl
- Mix REVERSE BLADES/speed 3/ 45 seconds.
- In a large frying pan, I use a wok, melt the butter and add the meat mixture AND THE REST OF THE MEAT to it, and brown lightly, (don't overcook) before turning it out into a casserole dish.
- Break the eggs into the Thermomix® and pour the bread milk in, and top up to 125g. Mix speed 5/10 seconds, then pour over the meat. Garnish with the bay leaves.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown.