Name: Chakalaka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South Africa, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 whole onions, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp curry powder; 3 whole carrots, grated; 1 whole green pepper, diced; 1 whole red pepper, diced; 2 cups shredded cabbage; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 400 g baked beans; 2 whole chile peppers, finely chopped; salt and black pepper, to taste

Chakalaka

South African chakalaka, a spicy vegetable relish with carrots, peppers, tomato, baked beans, curry powder, onion, garlic, and chile.

Country

South Africa

Region

Southern Africa

Time

50 min

Serves

Level

easy

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for Braai. Plan on a easy cook and about 50 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Pap, braai meat, boerewors, bread, rice, or samp

Follow the collection

Vegetarian Africa is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Vegetarian Africa

Regional lane

Braai sides and sweet table. Relishes, custards, puddings, and tea-table desserts.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Pantry lane

curry powder, apricot jam, chakalaka, mince, custard

Sauté aromatics

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fry until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.

Sauté onions 05:00

Add vegetables

Add the grated carrots and diced peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Cook vegetables 05:00

Add tomatoes and beans

Stir in the chopped tomatoes and chilli peppers. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender.

Kitchen noteAdjust the chilli to your heat preference — some like it fiery, others mild.

Simmer 10:00

Add beans and finish

Add the baked beans, stir gently, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Final simmer 10:00

Rest and serve

Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Chakalaka can be served warm or at room temperature alongside pap and braai meat.

Kitchen noteChakalaka tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop overnight.

Chakalaka

What to know before you cook

Build the table around Chakalaka

Step-by-step method

Chakalaka

What to know before you cook

Build the table around Chakalaka

Step-by-step method

Cook around Chakalaka