Name: Bobotie
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: minced lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two; butter, vegetable oil; 2 onions, chopped; 2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) crushed garlic; 15 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric; 2 slices bread, crumbled; 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk; finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 small lemon; 1 egg; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt, milled black pepper; 100 g (3 ounces) dried apricots, chopped; 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped; 60 ml (1/4 cup) sultanas (golden raisins); 50 g (1 1/2 ounces) slivered almonds, roasted in a dry frying pan; 6 lemon, orange, or bay leaves; 250 ml (1 cup) milk; 2 eggs; 2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt

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BobotieCIA/Keith Ferris

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation, and they spice it up even more with cumin, coriander and cloves. A similar dish was known in Europe in the middle ages after the Crusaders had brought turmeric from the East. When our first Dutch settlers arrived, Holland was largely influenced by Italian cooks, and a favorite dish was a hashed meat backed with curried sauce, spiked with red pepper and 'sweetened with blanched almonds.' There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which means long, slow cooking. Early cooks added a little tamarind water; lemon rind and juice is a more modern adaptation.

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