Bobotie - a way to make mince interesting!

No doubt there are a million different recipes for babotie, but this one comes from the South African side of the family so I like to think its authentic (though I really have no idea!)

I use my cast iron casserole which can go both on the stove and in the oven.

 

Oil to fry
1 Onion, diced
500g lowfat mince
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 1/2 teaspoon medium curry powder
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons chutney
1 cooking apple, grated
25 grams chopped almonds
2 or 3 tablespoons apricot jam, mixed with a little lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2 banana, sliced
1 or 2 eggs
A dash rice milk
3 lemon leaves
Oil

Fry the onions in oil. Add tumeric, curry powder and mince. Fry until browned

Add lemonpeel and juice, apple, chutney and salt and pepper. Cook for a bit. Add almonds.

Put mixture into an ovenproof dish. Top with jam mixture and sliced banana.

Stir up the egg in a cup and pour over. The original recipe says with a bit of milk, its not really necessary but I find a dash of rice milk does make it go a bit further. Let it soak for a bit. Roll lemon leaves and stick into the Bobotie.

Bake at 180 c for about 30 minutes until set and browned.

Curry for toddlers?

Lately miss 18mo has been returning quite a bit of her dinner by throwing it at me. Not my favorite way to eat the evening meal being pelted by bits of broccoli and carrot! So I tred to think of a few evening meals she would enjoy more, and we might find bedtime a little easier if she had a satisfied full tummy.

She really likes Babotie, but it has apricot jam in it, so who wouldn't? I was aiming for something a little healthier than that, but still needed a little sweetness. It worked a treat, and Mum and Dad liked it so much we forgot to take a photo until it was all gone!

Chicken Banana Curry

Makes enough for the 3 of us and Josh's lunch for the following day.

Put on some rice to cook however you like to do it.

1 onion chopped, cook with a little oil in a heavy bottom pan.
Add a few cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped whatever - out of a jar at my house :-)
1 tsp fresh ginger, also out of a jar.
Then, 400g chicken thighs, cubed with
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp chilli (those jars again!)
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/4 tsp garam masala
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground cardamon
Stir together, coating the chicken and sealing the meat
Pour in a tin of coconut milk.
Add some water if you want to increase the amount of sauce.
Cook down a bit, then when the rice is almost ready add in
2 bananas roughly chopped.

Allow to simmer another 5 mins or so, and serve with some steamed veg on the side.