Chakalaka

Name: Chakalaka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 1 large Onion, chopped; 1 piece Green pepper, diced; 1 piece Red pepper, diced; 3 medium Carrot, coarsely grated; 400 g Tomato, chopped, fresh or tinned; 410 g Baked beans, one tin, in tomato sauce; 2 piece Fresh chilli, finely chopped; 2 clove Garlic, crushed; 15 g Ginger, grated; 1 tbsp Curry powder; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Thyme, dried

Spicy South African vegetable relish of onion, peppers, carrot, curry powder and baked beans, served with pap or at the braai.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Rest: None
Total: 40 min
Difficulty: Very easy
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Chakalaka is a chunky, spicy relish of onion, green and red pepper, grated carrot and tomato, fried with curry powder, ginger, garlic and chilli, then finished with a tin of baked beans. It is eaten hot or cold, as a side to pap, with braaied meat, on bread, or straight from the pot. The vegetables should keep some bite; it is not a stew. This version is medium-hot. Every township kitchen and every supermarket tin has its own balance of curry powder to chilli, and the beans are what make it chakalaka rather than a generic relish.

What you'll need

13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 13 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Onion, chopped1 large
Green pepper, diced1
Red pepper, diced1
Carrot, coarsely grated3 medium
Tomato, chopped, fresh or tinned400 g
Baked beans, one tin, in tomato sauce410 g
Fresh chilli, finely chopped2
Garlic, crushed2 clove
Ginger, grated15 g
Curry powder15 ml
Neutral oil44 ml
Salt4.9 ml
Thyme, dried (optional)4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat the oil in a wide pan. Fry the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger over medium heat until the onion is soft, 6 minutes.
6 min
Step 2
Add the curry powder and thyme and stir for a minute until fragrant. Add the peppers and cook 4 minutes.
5 min
Step 3
Add the grated carrot and tomato with the salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until the carrot has softened but still has some bite and the tomato has thickened, about 10 minutes.
10 min
Tip: Stop while the carrot still looks orange rather than brown. It carries on cooking in the heat of the pan.
Step 4
Tip in the baked beans with their sauce and heat through for 3 minutes. Taste for salt and chilli. Serve hot, warm or cold.
3 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 200 kcal
Protein: 7.9 g
Carbs: 29 g
Fat: 6.8 g
Saturated fat: 0.7 g
Fibre: 9 g
Sugar: 7.3 g
Sodium: 360 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Baked beans → A tin of butter beans or cannellini with 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
Less sweet. Add a pinch of sugar.

Tips

Chakalaka improves overnight in the fridge and keeps a week.
For the braai, spoon it over pap (stiff maize porridge) and let it run into the edges.

History & culture

Chakalaka belongs to the townships of Johannesburg and is now on every braai table in the country, next to pap, boerewors and a bowl of chutney. It sells in tins by the million. Weekend braais, funerals, weddings, and Monday's leftovers on toast all count.

The usual story places it with mine workers in Johannesburg in the mid twentieth century, cooking tinned beans, tomatoes and whatever vegetables they had with curry powder picked up from the Indian spice trade. The name's origin is unclear. It is a young dish and nobody pretends otherwise.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.