Chakalaka

According to Wikipedia:

Chakalaka is a spicy African vegetable relish traditionally served with bread, pap, samp, stews or curries.

Ingredients

The ingredients can be varied according to what is available, but the main component is beans. Bean names seem to vary according to where you are in the world, I have used the names printed on the tins.  The measurement “tin” refers to a standard tin of approximately 400g.

Chakalaka on the stove.

• Olive oil
• Medium green pepper
• Medium red pepper
• Medium onion
• Garlic to taste
• Chilli to taste
• Tin of speckled sugar beans
• Tin of butter beans
• Tin of baked beans in tomato sauce

Method

1. Roughly chop the peppers and onions
2. Heat the oil in a wide bottomed pan
3. Add peppers, onions, garlic, chilli to pan – stir occasionally
4. Open tins of beans (except the baked beans!) and rinse
5. +a few minutes: Add rinsed beans to pan – stir more often
6. +a few more minutes: add baked beans – stir, making sure to scrape bottom of pan
7. Keep stirring every few minutes – test for taste and add more chilli/garlic/curry powder/spice
8. Stop heating when it seems right, or at the point when it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan

Serve

Hot or cold and on its own or with just about anything: it is basically a spicy bean salad.

Favourites are with braaied (barbecued) meat and mashed potato.  Also with mince, pasta, rice, toad-in-the-hole…

Chakalaka served as accompaniment to braai food.




Chakalaka served with baby potatoes and ostrich boerewors.