Chakalaka (South African Vegetable Stew)
Chakalaka is a spicy South African vegetable relish made from beans, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes. It is often served as a side dish with bread, pap (maize porridge), or meat. Chakalaka is versatile and can be customized with various vegetables and spices depending on regional or personal preference.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 48 min
- Total
- 1 hr 8 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Equipment
Large saucepan or Dutch oven
Equipment
Cooking Spoon
Equipment
Stove or Cooking gas
Procedure
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Procedure
Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.
Procedure
Stir in the curry powder, chile powder, and chopped chile peppers. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Procedure
Add the chopped tomatoes, grated carrots, and diced bell peppers. Stir well.
Procedure
Add the crumbled bouillon cube and water. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Procedure
Stir in the baked beans and cook for an additional 3–5 minutes, uncovered, until the mixture thickens.
Procedure
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Notes, tips, and variations
Chakalaka can be made ahead of time and tastes even better the next day.
Notes, tips, and variations
Grated cabbage or green beans can be added for extra variety.
Notes, tips, and variations
It can be served hot or cold, depending on preference.
Photo: philipp from cape town, south africa · CC BY 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 13 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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