Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a medium ceramic or glass baking dish (about 8x8 or similar).

Tear the bread into pieces and soak in about 1/4 cup of the milk for 5 minutes. The bread should absorb most of the milk and become soft.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and allspice to the skillet. Stir to coat the onions and toast the spices for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed, leaving just a little in the pan for flavor.

Squeeze most (but not all) of the milk from the soaked bread and add the bread to the meat mixture. Add the apricot jam, vinegar, golden raisins, salt, pepper, and 1 beaten egg. Stir everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust salt.

Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it down into an even layer.

Make the custard: whisk together the remaining egg and remaining 1/4 cup of milk with a pinch of salt. Pour evenly over the meat filling. Press the bay leaves gently into the surface of the custard.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the custard is just set — it should have a slight jiggle in the center but not be liquid. The top should be golden.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 8-10 minutes before serving. This allows the custard to finish setting and makes for cleaner servings.