South African bobotie with yellow rice

Cape Malay comfort food: gently curried mince with chutney and raisins, baked under a savoury egg custard. Served with turmeric rice studded with raisins, it is sweet, mild and a big hit with kids.

Ingredients

• 2 Bread, slices, crusts off
• 250 ml Milk, 100ml to soak the bread, 150ml for the topping
• 15 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 Onions, finely chopped
• 0.2 Garlic, crushed
• 500 g Beef mince
• 12 g Mild curry powder
• 2 g Ground turmeric
• 60 g Chutney, mango chutney
• 40 g Raisins
• 0.5 Lemons, juiced
• 2 Eggs
• 1 g Bay leaves, 3 or 4 leaves
• 4 g Salt
• 300 g Basmati rice
• 3 g Ground turmeric
• 1 g Ground cinnamon
• 30 g Raisins
• 15 g Butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Tear the bread into a bowl and pour over 100ml of the milk to soak.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and soften the onions for about 8 minutes, then add the garlic, curry powder and turmeric and cook for a minute.
3. Add the mince and fry, breaking it up, until browned all over.
4. Squeeze the milk out of the bread (keep the milk) and mash the bread into the mince with the chutney, raisins, lemon juice and salt. Spread it into an ovenproof dish and press down.
5. Beat the eggs with the squeezed-out milk and the remaining 150ml milk. Pour over the mince and tuck the bay leaves into the top.
6. Bake until the custard topping is set and golden.
7. Meanwhile, rinse the rice and put it in a pan with the turmeric, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 600ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat until the water has gone. Stir in the raisins and butter and leave covered for 5 minutes.
8. Remove the bay leaves and serve the bobotie in squares with the yellow rice.