There is a certain holy braai trinity in boerewors, putu pap and chakalaka, and it’s a cornerstone of South Africa’s cultural and culinary heritage. As with braaing boerewors and making putu pap, chakalaka is pretty straightforward to make, and very tasty to eat. Also, as with boerewors and putu pap, there are thousands, if not millions of recipes in South Africa. This is my take on the famous dish
Ingredients
- 3 tots olive oil
- 3 onions (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 fresh chillies (chopped)
- 3 bell peppers (any combination of green, yellow or red, seeded and chopped)
- 4 carrots (peeled and grated or chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tot medium curry powder
- 1 tot paprika
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 sachet (50g)tomato paste
- 1 tin baked beans
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- fresh coriander (to serve)
Method
- Heat the oil in your potjie and fry the onion until translucent.
- Next, add the garlic, ginger, chilli, peppers, carrots and bay leaves, and just toss with the onions.
- Now add the curry powder and paprika, then fry for another minute to toast the spices but proceed to the next step before things burn.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well. Put the lid on the potjie and leave to simmer over medium to low heat for 30 minutes so the flavours can develop and the carrots and anything else that’s hard can cook soft.
- Add the beans, mix through and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if you feel the need.
- Serve with fresh coriander, paired with putu pap and braaied boerewors.
SHARE THIS RECIPE