Merceile's Apricots – Bobotie

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g minced beef
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 onions
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp curry powder, good quality
• 6 apricot(s), dried
• 1 piece(s) fresh ginger (approx. 15 g)
• 300 ml milk, 3.5% fat content
• 3 eggs
• 100 g cheese, grated
• Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper
• Fat

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

South African minced meat casserole – tastes even after the 2010 World Cup!

Soak the apricots in hot water for about 30 minutes, then cut them into small cubes. Quarter the onions and slice them into thin strips. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Caramelize the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions to the melted, golden-yellow sugar and let everything brown for a few minutes while stirring. Deglaze with the vinegar and add the curry powder and tomato paste, followed by the prepared ginger and apricots. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Fry the minced meat in a large pan in the frying fat until browned and crumbly, then add the onion mixture and season to taste with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, then preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Whisk the eggs with the milk and pour the minced meat mixture into a suitable casserole dish. Then pour the egg wash over it and spread the grated cheese evenly over the casserole. Cooking time: about 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Serve with regular rice or traditional yellow rice. It’s also called begrafnisrys (funeral rice) because, according to Dutch and Cape Malay custom, it’s served with food after funerals.