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    Home » MAINS » MEAT & POULTRY

    South African Bobotie with Yellow Rice and Tomato Sambal

    Published: February 27, 2021 · Updated: May 16, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    South Africa’s treasure, often called the national dish, Bobotie has a perfect balance of spice and sweetness. South African Bobotie is a spiced and fruity minced lamb or beef dish baked in the oven with a creamy egg custard topping. We served it with a bowl of turmeric yellow rice and sambals as side dishes. Utterly delicious, this mildly spiced and unusually sweet meat dish is definitely a must-try!

    Take Me To:
    • Why This South African Meatloaf Recipe is a Must-Try?
    • What is Bobotie?
      • Origin of Bobotie
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Method
      • Make Lamb Bobotie
      • Make the Custard Topping
      • Bake
    • What to Serve with Bobotie?
      • Make Tomato Sambal
      • Make South African Yellow Rice
    • Other African Food Recipes

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    Lamb Bobotie in a white overnproof dish with bay leafs scaterred around.

    Why This South African Meatloaf Recipe is a Must-Try?

    We have never been to South Africa (but it’s definitely on our list), but we’ve been cooking some of the most popular South African dishes for a while now. Our love for Bobotie specifically started with a spice subscription box, Simply Cook. Bobotie was by far my favourite dish. It sounded so out of the ordinary, that I was intrigued – apricots, mince and bread soaked in milk? That just didn’t seem like a combination I’ve ever heard of before. So we simply had to try it!

    Since then, I’ve discovered that fruit is an integral part of South African cuisine and is mainly used in savoury dishes. As a lover of pineapple on my pizza, I’ve completely embraced this way of cooking, and can’t resist a good mildly spiced lamb bobotie, sweet with raisins and apricots. As for Seb, he didn’t even notice there was fruit on his plate, but the fact that he had 3 helpings last time I made it tells me everything I need to know.

    What is Bobotie?

    Simply put, Bobotie is a spiced minced meat dish with an egg custard topping. Normally made with dried fruit and garnished with sweet chutney and bananas, this is an unusually sweet meat dish for the Western pallet (unusual, but ridiculously delicious). The traditional bobotie recipe calls for either lamb or beef, but there are plenty of more modern versions today, using turkey or pork mince too!

    Origin of Bobotie

    Like many national dishes that had recipes passed down from generation to generation, the origin of Bobotie is unclear and disputed. The name bobotie allegedly comes from a Malayal boemboe, meaning curry. It is always claimed that the very first recipe for bobotie was found in a Dutch cookbook back in the 17th century. Bobotie was declared the national dish of South Africa by the United Nations Women’s Organisation in 1954.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Don’t be discouraged by the long list of Bobotie ingredients – most of them are spices or store cupboard ingredients that you likely have at home already.

    Ingredients for lamb bobotie on a white  marble surface.
    • a large slice of bread: we used a slice of sourdough bread with the crust cut off, but everyday sliced bread (white or brown) will work just fine.
    • milk
    • brown onion: can be substituted with shallots, or white or red onion.
    • garlic cloves: can be substituted with garlic paste.
    • curry powder: we used medium curry powder, but feel free to use mild, if you don’t enjoy even mild heat in your food.
    • bobotie spice mix: ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ground ginger
    • lemon juice: ideally from a lemon, not the bottle. Lime can be used here too if that’s what you have.
    • mango chutney: although in a traditional bobotie recipe apricot jam is used, so feel free to experiment with which you prefer. Our vote goes to mango chutney.
    • lamb mince: we used lean lamb mince (20% fat) which is still fatty enough to produce a perfectly moist and succulent South African Meatloaf. Any fattier and you’ll end up with greasy bobotie, but extra lean lamb mince (5-10% fat) will produce a drier, less tender meatloaf.
    • dried apricots
    • raisins or sultanas
    • flaked almonds: added for texture. You may chop up some almonds, or simply skip the nuts altogether if you have allergies.
    • large apple: sweet or tangy! We used Braeburns on this occasion.
    • yoghurt: natural or Greek yoghurt.
    • eggs: use medium eggs in the UK, or large if you are in the US.
    • bay leaf.

    You will also need some rice, turmeric, tomatoes, red onion and coriander for the South African Yellow Rice and Tomato & Onion Sambal.


    Method

    Make Lamb Bobotie

    Cut the crusts off your bread. Place it in a shallow bowl and pour the milk all over it. Leave the bread to soak for 20 minutes. Tear it into small pieces once soaked.

    Sourodugh bread soaking in milk.

    Heat 1 tablespoon of oil on low heat in a large frying pan and add the onions and garlic. Sautee for 8-10 minutes until the onion has softened and just starting to brown.

    Add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, ginger, mango chutney (or apricot jam) and lemon juice. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then spoon the mixture out into a bowl.

    Return the pan to the hob, add the lamb mince and cook until brown.

    Add the onion mix back to the pan with the lamb alongside the bread, raisins and apricots. Cook for a couple of minutes. Taste and season.

    Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Spoon half of the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Then cover the surface with apple slices. Sprinkle with almond flakes (if using) and top with the other half of the lamb mixture. Leave it to cool slightly, whilst you make the custard topping.

    A layer of sliced apples and almonds being covered with the reserved half od the lamb mixture.

    Make the Custard Topping

    In a bowl, beat yoghurt and eggs with some salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the lamb bobotie and add a bay leaf on top.

    Bake

    Place South African Bobotie in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. You may want to cover the dish with a large sheet of foil midway through if the bobotie is browning too quickly.

    Bobotie with egg and yoghurt topping and a bay leaf in the middle before baking.
    Baked browned bobotie in a white ceramic dish.

    What to Serve with Bobotie?

    We personally like to keep things traditional yet simple! The best side dishes for bobotie, in our opinion, are easy Turmeric Yellow Rice and Tomato Sambal (recipes below). We also like a good dollop of caramelised onion chutney with it all!

    Make Tomato Sambal

    Half the tomatoes and place them in a small bowl. Finely chop a small amount of the red onion as well as coriander (including stalks) and mix them in with the tomatoes. Add the sugar and vinegar and leave the tomato sambal in the fridge for 30 minutes, whilst the bobotie cooks.

    Ingredients for Tomato Sambal.
    Tomato and Onion Sambal INgredents in a small white bowl.

    Make South African Yellow Rice

    Boil your rice following packet instructions, but add a teaspoon of turmeric and salt to the water too. It’s that simple. The turmeric will give the rice that lovely blight yellow colour as well as a subtle hint of turmeric flavour.

    A portion of bobotie on a white plate with yellow rice, tomato sambal and red onion chutney, with the rest of the bobotie still in the white ceramic ovenproof dish.

    Other African Food Recipes

    For other African continent inspired recipes, have a look at:

    • Nigerian Spiced Jollof Rice with Fish
    • Berbere Lentils
    • West African Peanut & Butternut Squash Stew
    South African Bobotie baked in a wite ceramic dish on a cooling rack with the tomato sambal and yellow rice on the side.

    South African Bobotie with Yellow Rice and Sambal

    South Africa’s treasure, often called the national dish, Bobotie has a perfect balance of spice and sweetness. South African Bobotie is a spiced and fruity minced lamb or beef dish baked in the oven with a creamy egg custard topping. We served it with a bowl of turmeric yellow rice and sambals as side dishes. Utterly delicious, this mildly spiced and unusually sweet meat dish is definitely a must-try!
    4.75 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine South African
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 662 kcal

    Equipment

    • Overproof Dish (approx. 1.5 L capacity)

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Bobotie:

    • 1 large slice of bread
    • 60 ml milk
    • 1 brown onion finely chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 2 teaspoon curry powder medium
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon coriander
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ginger
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp apricot jam or mango chutney
    • 500 g lamb mince lean
    • 25 g dried apricots roughly chopped
    • 25 g raisins or sultanas
    • 25 g flaked almonds
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 large apple thinly sliced
    • 200 ml yoghurt
    • 2 eggs medium

    For the Yellow Rice:

    • 240 g long-grain or basmati rice
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For Sambal:

    • 200 g cherry tomatoes halved
    • ⅛ red onion finely chopped
    • 5 g fresh coriander roughly chopped
    • ½ tsp caster sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar white wine or apple cider

    Instructions
     

    To Make Bobotie:

    • Cut the crust off your bread. Place it in a shallow bowl and pour the milk all over it. Leave it to soak for 20 minutes. Tear it into small pieces once soaked.
    • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil on low heat in a large frying pan and add the onions and garlic. Sautee for 8-10 minutes until the onion has softened and just starting to brown.
    • Add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, ginger, apricot jam (or mango chutney) and lemon juice. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then spoon the mixture out into a bowl.
    • Return the pan to the hob, add the lamb mince and cook until brown.
    • Add the onion mix back to the pan with the lamb alongside the bread, raisins and apricots. Cook for a couple of minutes. Taste and season to taste.
    • Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Spoon half of the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Then cover the surface with apple slices. Sprinkle with almond flakes and top with the other half of the lamb mixture. Leave it to cool slightly, whilst you make the topping.
    • In a bowl, beat yogurt and eggs with some salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the meat and add a bay leaf on top.
    • Place in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. You may want to cover the dish with a large sheet of foil midway through if the bobotie is browning too much.

    Make Tomato Sambal:

    • Mix all the ingredients together and leave for 30 minutes in the fridge, whilst the bobotie cooks.

    Make Yellow Rice:

    • Boil your rice following packet instructions, but add a teaspoon of turmeric and salt to the water too.
    • Serve your bobotie, yellow rice and tomato sambal with some red onion or chakalaka chutney!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 662kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 40gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 194mgPotassium: 1057mgFiber: 5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 724IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword African Food, Bobotie, Bobotie Recipe, Bobotie with Apples, Bobotie with Apricots, Bobotie with Sultanas, Fruity Bobotie, Lamb and apricot Recipes, Lamb Bobotie, Lamb Bobotie Recipe, South African Bobotie, South African Bobotie Recipe, South African Lamb Bobotie, South African Yellow Rice, Tomato Sambal, Turmeric Yellow Rice, Yellow Rice
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dannii

      March 30, 2021 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      I have always wanted to try this. The flavours in it sound absolutely incredible.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 31, 2021 at 6:07 am

        It’s definitely an unconventional flavour combination but we think it tastes amazing! Hope you get to make it soon! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jenn

      November 15, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      My husband has been raving about South African cuisine since he went on school trip there and I cannot wait to cook this up for us at home! This Bobotie looks amazing and I love the addition of sambal – so tasty!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 15, 2021 at 6:10 pm

        Wow, what a wonderful school trip! We are huge fans of South African cuisine too 🙂

        Reply
    3. Genevieve

      January 29, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds very interesting, sounds fun to make over the weekend.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        January 30, 2022 at 6:11 am

        Thanks, Genevieve! Lots of fun to make and to eat! And definitely easy enough feed the crowd 🙂

        Reply
    4. Chris

      March 08, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      In the recipe it doesn’t mention when to add the milk soaked bread??

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 08, 2022 at 6:08 pm

        After soaking the bread, tear it into small pieces and add it after the lamb is cooked, together with the onions and dried fruit. Hope you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Anonymous

      March 08, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      Hi Chris, add the bread alongside the apricots and raisins 🙂

      Reply
    6. Katherine

      March 30, 2022 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      So many awesome ingredients! I can’t wait to try this out!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 31, 2022 at 6:14 am

        Hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lily

      May 10, 2022 at 2:21 pm

      5 stars
      I love lamb, chutney, and apricots- I cannot wait to make this recipe! The combinations of flavors just sound so unique, like a whole new cultural experience.

      Reply
    8. Mahy

      October 02, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      Let me tell you… bobotie is definitely the dish I have never tried in my life. Excited to give it a try!

      Reply
    9. Sara

      January 15, 2023 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Love trying new dishes and this did not disappoint! Great flavours and thank you for the easy to follow instructions.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        January 15, 2023 at 8:55 pm

        Thanks 💗

        Reply
    10. Julia

      February 15, 2023 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      This was so flavorful! We made it with cilantro rice and it tastes incredible! Will be doing more turmeric next time!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 16, 2023 at 8:39 am

        So glad you liked it, Julia! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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