Bobotie | wine.co.za (2024)

FAQs

What is bobotie made of? ›

Bobotie is a South African dish similar to meatloaf but so much better. Ground beef is seasoned with slightly sweet curry, topped with a milk and egg custard, and baked until golden brown. It's delicious!

In South Africa, bobotie was adopted and adapted by the Cape Malay community – many of whom were slaves and labourers with roots in modern-day Indonesia – with the addition of curry powder, as well as the spices typically being transported by the Dutch East India Company from Indonesia to the Netherlands.

Bobotie is a baked mincemeat dish and one of the more recognizable foods to come out of South Africa. It's commonly believed that Bobotie was first derived from the Javanese dish Botok, as Dutch colonists brought the dish to South Africa from their settlements in Indonesia (née Dutch East Indies) in the 17th century.

It is almost always served with "yellow rice" however; long-grain cooked with turmeric and often raisins, though it would also be nice, I think, with mashed sweet potato or roasted squash, and a glass of robust red like a local cabernet sauvignon, whose smoky fruit pairs well with the sweet gaminess of the lamb.

Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou /ˈfuˌfu/ foo-foo) is a pounded meal found in West African cuisine. It is a Twi word that originates from the Akans in Ghana.

Bobotie belongs to the Cape Malay community, who live primarily in and around Cape Town. These are Javanese people whose ancestors were enslaved by the Dutch and forcibly brought to the Western Cape as part of the Dutch East India Company's colonization of the cape.

Chakalaka and pap are mainstays on every South African dinner table. Chakalaka is a vegetable dish made of onions, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beans and spices, and is often served cold. Pap, meaning 'porridge', is similar to American grits and is a starchy dish made from white corn maize.

South African cuisine is a colourful blend of diverse and tasty dishes, ranging from street food classics like bunny chow and Gatsby to traditional favourites such as bobotie and melktert. Each dish carries a piece of the nation's history and cultural richness.

(bʊˈbʊtɪ ) noun. a South African dish consisting of curried mincemeat with a topping of beaten egg baked to a crust.

What are the main ingredients in bobotie? ›

Ground meat

Bobotie / Main ingredient

Traditional Zulu Food

The Zulu people are known for their love of meat, and some of the most popular dishes include umngqusho (a dish made with corn and beans) and isopho (a thick maize porridge). For meat lovers, there's also the popular dish, amadumbe (a type of root vegetable) served with oxtail stew.

The first recipe for bobotie appeared in a Dutch cookbook in 1609. Afterwards, it was taken to South Africa and adopted by the Cape Malay community. It is also made with curry powder, leaving it with a slight "tang". It is often served with sambal.

Bobotie. Another dish thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers, bobotie is now the national dish of the country and cooked in many homes and restaurants. Minced meat is simmered with spices, usually curry powder, herbs and dried fruit, then topped with a mixture of egg and milk and baked until set ...