Authentic South African Bobotie

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Then, take the bread and cut it into cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl and soak them in 1 cup of milk.

Take a wide skillet and heat some olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook them until they become soft.

Add the curry powder, mixed herbs, turmeric, and garlic to the skillet. Stir constantly and allow them to cook for a minute or two until the garlic becomes soft.

Now, add the ground beef to the skillet. Stir frequently to break up any large chunks and cook until the beef is browned.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chutney, apricot jam, all the lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to mix everything well.

Squeeze the milk from the bread cubes, saving the milk for later. Tear and break the bread into small pieces. Mix the bread pieces into the beef mixture and spread the mixture evenly into an oven-proof dish.

Strain the milk that was saved from the bread and add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to it. Beat in the eggs and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the meat in the oven-proof dish. Decoratively scatter the bay leaves on top.

Place the dish, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 350℉. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

Serve the dish with yellow rice, peas, and a green salad. Enjoy!