Classic South African Bobotie Phyllo Pies

These South African bobotie phyllo pies make a delicious appetizer snack to serve at a party. Use up any leftover bobotie or make a new batch just for these pies. It will be so worth it!

Ingredients
Bobotie pies:
8 sheets phyllo pastry 2 sheets make 4 x pies
200 g Kerrygold salted butter melted
Chutney to serve

Bobotie:
500 g lean beef or lamb mince
1 large onion peeled and coarsely grated or chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
4 tsp 20ml medium curry powder
1 tsp 5ml hot or additional medium curry powder or garam masala
½ tsp 2.5ml turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
pinch cayenne pepper or chilli powder
½ red or green pepper finely diced
1 large Granny Smith unpeeled green apple finely diced or coarsely grated
2 slices white or brown bread crusts removed
½ cup 125ml milk
1 tsp 5ml salt
1 tsp 5ml baking powder
2 – 3 tbsp 30ml apricot jam or fruit chutney (I used Mrs Balls)
1 tbsp 15ml white vinegar
1 tsp 2.5ml beef stock powder (or one sachet of stock concentrate)
1/3 cup 80ml raisins or sultanas, soaked in hot water to plump up

Topping:
2 eggs
½ cup 125ml milk
¼ tsp 1ml salt
6 – 8 coarsely chopped cashew nuts optional
lemon or bay leaves optional


Instructions

To make the bobotie, place the meat, onion, garlic and spices in a larger non-stock frying and stir-fry over moderate heat for about 5 minutes or until the meat is loose and crumbly.

Add the red pepper and apple and cook 5 minutes more until the meat is lightly browned.

Pour the milk over the bread to moisten, and add this to the meat together with all remaining ingredients. Mix to combine, adjust seasoning to taste and spoon into an ovenproof dish of a suitable size. Press the mince down quite firmly and smooth the top.

Beat together the ingredients for the topping and pour this over the meat. Scatter the nuts over the top and stick a few lemon or bay leaves decoratively into the meat.

Bake at 170ºC for about 30 until the topping has set and turned light golden brown.

When you are ready to bake the pies, gently remove two sheets of phyllo pastry from the packaging – cover the remaining pastry with a clean, damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out.

Separate the pastry sheets and lightly brush one with melted butter, then place the unbrushed sheet on top.

Cut the pastry sheets vertically/lengthways into four equal strips or, if you want to make smaller pies, five pieces.

Brush the strips with butter leaving the bottom bit where the filling goes in unbrushed.

Place a spoonful of bobotie (about a dessert spoon full) at the bottom end of each piece of pastry and fold over to form a triangle.

Continue to fold the parcel over as you work your way up the strip of pastry, maintaining the triangle shape. Repeat with the other sheets of pastry.

Lightly brush all sides of the triangle pies with melted butter.