This vegan bobotie recipe has all the flavor of the original South African bobotie. It is spicy, fragrant and delicious. It is a special dish, so if you are in the mood to try something unique, this is the dish for you.
What is Bobotie?
Bobotie is a traditional South African casserole. A few key elements define this dish: A sweet, savory, spicy filling that is bound with bread soaked in milk. Traditionally, this filling is made with ground beef or lamb. It is spiced with a generous amount of cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves. The spiciness is balanced with sweetness, The sweetness from jam or chutney, raisins, and even apples.
This filling is bound together with bread soaked in milk, giving it a slightly creamy texture and prevents the topping from soaking into the filling. Lastly, the dish traditionally topped with a savory custard and is decorated with bay leaves
How to make a healthy, plant based bobotie?
I found this dish pretty easy to adapt since there are so many components that add flavor to the dish that replacing the meat doesn’t affect the flavor that much. I’ve replaced the ground beef with a lentil and walnut combination. The topping was a bit trickier. I considered a blended tofu-based topping, but for this version I decided on a fluffy chickpea flour batter, flavored with turmeric. It is visually spot on, and it brings the dish together in terms of flavor and texture.
In my family, Bobotie is served with yellow rice, simple tomato and onion sambal, toasted desiccated coconut, fresh sliced banana, and chutney. I can really recommend going for the full spread. If you live outside South Africa, you may not be able to find the exact equivalent of the chutneys we enjoy here, but look for one that is sweet and fruity and you should be on the right track.
Yellow rice is simply rice cooked with turmeric, sticks of cinnamon, and raisins. While traditional recipes would add some butter and sugar. I add just a little brown sugar and rely on the raisins for sweetness.
Vegan Bobotie
Ingredients
- 1½ cup dry lentils
- 2 onions
- 3 carrots
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼-½ tsp ground cloves The upper range will give you a strong clove flavour, which I enjoy
- 1½ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 apples grated
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 slices wholewheat bread soaked in almond milk
- 1 lemon juice and zest
For the topping
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2-3 Bay leaves optional, for decoration
Instructions
- Boil the lentils for 20-25 minutes until cooked
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
- Finely chop the onion in a food processor.
- Saute the chopped onion until soft and translucent
- While the onions are cooking, process the walnuts and carrots to a breadcrumb texture
- Add the carrot mix to the pan with the onions. Saute for a few minutes.
- Add the spices and garlic.
- Process the cooked lentils. Don’t let them get too fine.
- Add the lentils to the pot.
- Add the grated apple, apricot jam, raisins and soy sauce. Cook the mixture over low heat for a few minutes. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
- Meanwhile, soak the bread in a little almond milk. Mash the bread with a fork and add to the mixture. Yes, this seems weird but it is important to the texture of the dish.
- Put your lentil mixture in a casserole dish. You want to create a fairly smooth surface and pack things fairly tightly, or the topping will sink into the gaps.
- Now, make the topping. Mix all the dry ingredients, and then slowly mix in the almond milk to form a smooth batter.
- Pour on top of the lentil mix in the casserole
- Decorate with bay leaves or cloves
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the topping is puffed and golden.