Some things are obvious when paired — warm scones smeared with jam and a dollop of cream, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. But minced meat, nuts, sultanas and egg custard? It may not be a standard flavour combination, yet bobotie’s spice-infused meat topped with its creamy crust just works, creating one of our favourite national dishes. Here you can find a delicious bobotie recipe with a milk tart for dessert — a heritage-worthy feast indeed.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Serves: 6–8

2 slices sourdough or other bread
100 ml milk
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp flaked salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, finely chopped
600 g minced lamb
2 cloves
2 Tbsp peach chutney
3 Tbsp sultanas
70 g flaked almonds

For the topping:
250 ml milk
3 eggs
¼ tsp turmeric
4–6 bay leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Soak the bread in the milk for 10 minutes.
3. Heat the spices in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once they are fragrant, remove from the heat and place in a pestle and mortar or blender. Grind to a fairly fine powder.
4. Fry the onions in a few glugs of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir, cook for another minute or two.
5. Stir in the spices and cook for another few minutes until you can smell the curry flavours.
6. Add the carrot and minced lamb and stir well to combine, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
7. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes on a low simmer.
8. Break up the bread and stir into the lamb mixture, then pour the whole mixture into a baking dish.
9. Beat the eggs into the milk with the extra turmeric, and pour the topping over the mince base. Garnish with bay leaves.
10. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve with rice and a big dollop of fruit chutney or a selection of sambals.

Follow your bobotie with another national treasure, the classic milk tart, and give your gathered guests one more reason to celebrate our country’s culinary legacy.

As we celebrate our heritage – acknowledging who we are as South Africans and embracing these wonderful differences to create something great – we hope you can draw a little inspiration from the bold bobotie that unites diverse ingredients for the greater good of us, its loyal (and hungry) people.