🇿🇦 South African Chakalaka

Name: South African Chakalaka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South Africa
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Oil; 1 Onion, sliced; 2 cloves Garlic, minced; 2 tbsp Mild Curry Powder; 1 tsp Turmeric; 3 large Carrots, grated; 2 Red Peppers, sliced; 1 Green Pepper, sliced; 2 Tomatoes, chopped; 1 can (410 g) Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Black Pepper; 1 tbsp Vinegar; 1 tsp Sugar

South Africa Relish Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 6 180 kcal

Chakalaka is a spicy, colourful vegetable relish that sits alongside braai meat and pap at almost every South African gathering. Grated carrots, peppers, and baked beans come together in a curried tomato sauce that is somewhere between a relish and a stew.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Oil
1 Onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
1 tsp Turmeric
3 large Carrots, grated
2 Red Peppers, sliced
1 Green Pepper, sliced
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 can (410 g) Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar

Method

Fry onion and garlic in oil until soft.
Add curry powder and turmeric. Cook 1 min.
Add grated carrots and peppers. Fry 5 min.
Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
Stir in baked beans, salt, pepper, vinegar, and sugar.
Simmer 15 min until thick and glossy.
Serve hot or cold with pap, braai meat, or bread.

History

Chakalaka grew out of the mining communities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand in the early 20th century, where migrant workers from across southern Africa brought their own culinary traditions to the compounds. The dish draws on Mozambican and Zimbabwean influences, and the name is thought to come from a Zulu or Tsonga word meaning "all mixed together." It became a staple of South African township cooking and is now considered one of the country’s national sides, served at braais, family gatherings, and celebrations across every community.

The science

Chakalaka is a study in how sugar, acid, and spice interact. The baked beans bring starch and sweetness, the tomatoes bring acidity, and the curry powder brings fat-soluble aromatics that need oil to release properly — which is why the spices are fried before the wet ingredients are added. Simmering the finished relish reduces the water content, concentrating the flavours and giving the dish the glossy, almost jammy texture that makes it so good alongside dry, charred meat.

Substitutions

Baked beans in tomato sauce are the quickest route, but you can use cooked dried beans with a spoonful of tomato paste and a little sugar instead. For a hotter version, add a chopped chili or a spoonful of peri-peri sauce. Any colour of bell pepper works. If you want to make it ahead, chakalaka actually improves overnight as the spices continue to infuse — the day-after version is widely considered the better one.

Chef's tip

Grate the carrots coarsely for texture. Chakalaka tastes even better the next day.

Drink pairing

Perfect alongside any braai meat and pap. A cold lager is the classic pairing, but a slightly off-dry white wine also works if you are serving it with fish.