This September Miele and Sarah Graham celebrate South African heritage in the best way possible – through food of course. Sarah makes the South African classic, bobotie, with her own twist. This recipe uses lamb mince and lentils, which go wonderfully with the sweet and spicy flavours of this traditional Cape Malay dish.
Make Sarah Graham’s Lamb & Lentil Bobotie
Serves: 4-6
Difficulty: easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
For The Spiced Minced Meat
1–2 Tbsp olive oil
500 g lamb mince
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp medium curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp each of dried mixed herbs
1 Tbsp chutney ½ tsp salt pinch of freshly
ground black pepper ½ cup seedless raisins
1 Tbsp lemon juice 21/2 cup cooked quinoa (for gluten free) OR 2 slices wholewheat bread, soaked in water, lightly squeezed and mashed with a fork
1 x 400 g can lentils, drained
2 Tbsp flaked almonds
2 bay leaves
For the Baked Egg Topping
1 cup milk
½ tsp salt pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
What to do
Preheat the oven to 190 °C and grease an ovenproof dish well. I prefer a slightly smaller dish that makes a deeper, moister bobotie.
Heat the oil and butter in a pan on medium-high heat and fry the mince, stirring often until loose and crumbly. Add the onions and fry until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, apple, ginger, spices, herbs and chutney and continue cooking for another minute. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice then add the mashed quinoa or bread, raisins, lentils and almonds.
Spread the mixture in the ovenproof dish and insert the bay leaves.5. Beat all the ingredients for the topping with a fork and pour over the top.
Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the custard topping is firm and golden brown.
Note: Recipe can easily be doubled and works just as well with beef instead of lamb
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