Virtual Potluck with Shabby in the city....

Shabby in the City called all Bloggers to have virtual potluck with her and share a recipe and dish from your part -of-wherever- you- live

As some of you know....I`m from South Africa and the dish I have chosen is a very traditional South African one........called Bobotie

No self respecting South African housewife will be caught without a favourite and treasured bobotie recipe.

Bobotie is like a shepherd's pie with personality. Minced beef is slow-cooked with curry powder and lots of aromatic spices such as turmeric, coriander, cloves, cumin and bay. Dried fruit - apricots and sultana's - and almonds are optional extras and give the bobotie a wonderful sweet and sour flavour. The mince mixture is placed in a bowl, topped with an egg custard and baked in the oven until the custard browns. Bobotie is almost always served with geelrys (rice cooked with turmeric, raisins and cloves) and accompanied by blatjang (fruit chutney)

For those of you interested...here is the recipe:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 1/4 pounds good quality lean ground beef
1 thickish slice of white bread
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon medium curry powder (or hot for the hale and brave)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
freshly grated pepper (about a half teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons malt vinegar
1/2 cup seedless raisins
2 tablespoons strong chutney
2 bay leaves (or fresh lemon leaves if available)
2 medium eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in medium sauté pan. Stir in onions. Cook over medium heat until transparent. Add ground beef. Cook until lightly browned and crumbly.
Soak bread in half the milk, squeeze out excess milk and mash with a fork - DON'T TOSS SQUEEZED OUT MILK! Pour it straight back into remaining milk. Set milk aside.
Add curry, sugar, salt, pepper, turmeric, vinegar, raisins, chutney to the beef mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish, and place bay leaves on top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.
Beat egg with remaining milk and pour over mixture approximately 25 - 30 minutes before end of baking time.
Serve with steamed rice (traditionally yellow!) and extra chutney.
Pure South African comfort food! Especially nice in winter, or cold with a salad in summer.

Serves: 6