Vegetable Packed Bobotie Recipe ... simply delicious !

Bobotie would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. It consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Bobotie appears to be a variant of 'Patinam ex lacte', a dish documented by the ancient Roman writer Apicius, which comprises layers of cooked meat, pine nuts, and seasoned with pepper, celery seeds and asafoetida. It's not dissimilar to moussaka.

This South African classic is a family favourite and a brilliant 'vessel' for secret vegetables! This version is quite mild in flavour, but you can always add a little more curry powder to spice it up should you wish. 

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8
17.02 g carbs per serving

5 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup grated courgette (zucchini)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 whole cloves
5 whole allspice
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes, blended
800g beef mince
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
For the custard: 
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
8 bay leaves

Method:
1. Melt the butter in a wide-based pot and gently fry the onion, carrots, red pepper and courgette until soft. Stir in the ginger and the garlic and fry for minute or so. Add the spices and fry for another minute to release their flavour.
2. Pour in the honey, vinegar and tomato, and bring to the boil.
3. Mix in the remaining ingredients, ensuring that everything is combined well; you don’t want meatballs in your mince.
4. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time. When it’s done, season well with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the mixture in a greased ovenproof dish.
6. To make the custard, lightly beat together the milk and the eggs.
7. Press the bay leaves into the bobotie mixture and carefully pour over the custard.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the egg topping has set.

Nutritional Info per 375g:
Carbs: 17.02 g
Fat: 34.09 g
Protein: 36.57 g
Shelf Life:
Once cooked, this bobotie freezes like a 'bomb'. You can easily double the recipe so you have leftovers to freeze.

'This recipe is easy to make as a vegetarian meal, use 'Quorn' mince, it takes up the flavours really well.'

From an original idea here

For help with weight / measurement conversion please see here

A variety of recipe ideas, are within this blog. It is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan