SOUTH AFRICAN BOBOTIE-SPICED RISOTTO
After a trip to Africa and Turkey this past summer–enjoying authentic, delicious cuisine–there’s nothing quite like a dish of bobotie, a bowl of culture mixed with spices, fruits, meats and nuts.
Bobotie, a Malay dish similar to shepherd’s pie, is often called the national dish of South Africa. Since rice is the traditional accompaniment, today I’m sharing a recipe that uses the Italian flavor of risotto instead for a twist on a South African Bobotie-Spiced Risotto. What a unique, fun way to teach your guests about other cultures!
South African meals can range from one dish to many, served in courses or at the same time. There don’t seem to be any hard and fast rules, and the cuisine can consist of anything from Malay curries and fresh crayfish, to hearty Dutch stews, and even variations of British meat pies. When bobotie is served, it’s sometimes garnished with chutney or bananas.
Instead of traditional minced meats, I made a risotto topped with ground beef, currants, dried apricots and nuts. Some recipes call for minced or ground lamb, but to make the perfect recipe for your household or party guests, choose the meat ingredient for your own bobotie according to to your palate.
The price of lamb can be steep, so beef was my meat of choice. Plus, I don’t find a big difference in the texture and flavor between minced lamb and beef once they’ve been flavored with curry spices, nuts, currants and apricots.
Get ready for your guests’ palates to be happy with these flavor combinations: Apricot jelly, curry powder (that we brought back from Africa), anise, fennel and cardamom.
As with any risotto recipe, the secret to the perfect texture and creaminess is in the stirring.
Replacing traditional rice for arborio risotto, the KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower takes all the fuss out of making risotto by doing the hard work for you!
It’s very easy to hook up and all you have to do is click on the right setting, and hit Start.
The arm moves around in the bowl, continuing to stir until the risotto is done.
With the KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker on the “Risotto” setting, heat the oil and add the shallot, stirring and cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the rice, and slowly pour in the wine and continue to cook.
Cook the risotto for 15-17 minutes until creamy. Add the Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
While the risotto is cooking, heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and meat and fry until brown, turning occasionally. Drain off excess oil and set aside.
Add the jelly, spices, currants, dried apricots, and walnuts to the meat mixture. Gently stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the meat and fruit mixture on top of the risotto in a large bowl, or in individual servings.
If you want to spruce up this dish for a dinner party, try garnishing the dish with thyme or a sprig of lemon leaves, or even with bay leaves.
The South African Bobotie Risotto is a dish that your guests will be talking about for a very long time!
SOUTH AFRICAN BOBOTIE-SPICED RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
2 cups arborio risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef (or lamb, or a mixture of both)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons apricot jelly or jam
1-2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon anise
1/2 teaspoon fennel
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup currants
10 or 12 dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
DIRECTIONS
In the KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker on “Risotto” setting, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the shallot, stirring and cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the rice, and slowly pour in the wine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Attach the Stir Tower to the KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker, add the 4 cups of chicken broth and start the stir process, cooking the risotto for 15-17 minutes, until creamy. Add the Parmesan cheese; salt and pepper to taste.
While the risotto is cooking, heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and meat and fry until brown, turning occasionally. Drain off excess oil and set aside.
Serve the meat and fruit mixture on top of the risotto in a large bowl, or in individual servings. Garnish with fresh thyme.
