A hotly contested notion that bobotie is South Africa’s national dish is a conversation and debate that continues as we edge close to Heritage Day so why not take on a twist of this classic dish?
Bobotie has its origins in a Dutch dish and was adopted by the Cape Malay community who added a lot of spice and flavour to the original.
Bobotie recipes are usually meaty either beef or pork mince. It’s spiced mince meat, baked with an egg-based topping. This is the vegetarian version, but the meat option can still be added.
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This bobotie recipe is a twist, it’s more of a salad and quicker to make.
Avocado and bobotie rice salad with roasted grapes
Preheat the oven to 200˚C and place the grapes on a baking tray, add a drizzle of the honey. Roast until tender and slightly charred, about 10 minutes.
To make the avocado bobotie salad: combine the basmati rice and lentils in a bowl and set aside.
In a frying pan, sauté the onion in the oil until softened, add the spices and garlic, and sauté for a further 2 -3 minutes. Pour in the water and whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and apricot jam, cook until the jam melts and forms a sauce. Remove from the heat and pour half the sauce over the rice and lentils, and toss to coat the rice.
Arrange the bobotie rice on a platter and add the avocado quarters, garnish with chopped coriander, flaked almonds and the roasted grapes.