-
1
Soften the onion, pepper and carrot
8 minutes
Medium heat 160°C (320°F)
Heat the sunflower oil (30 ml) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion (150 g) and fry for 3 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the diced green pepper (100 g) and grated carrot (200 g) and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often, until the carrot softens and the pepper loses its raw edge.
Keep the heat at medium — the carrot should soften slowly, not brown and go bitter.
Done when: Onion translucent, carrot softened, pepper tender but still holding its shape.
-
2
Bloom the spices with garlic, ginger and chilli
2 minutes
Medium heat 160°C (320°F)
Stir in the crushed garlic (9 g), grated ginger (10 g) and chopped chilli (15 g), then sprinkle over the curry powder (8 g) and paprika (5 g). Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until the spices smell warm and fragrant and coat the vegetables evenly.
Do not walk away here — ground spices burn in seconds on a hot pot, and burnt curry powder turns the whole relish bitter.
Done when: Fragrant and evenly coloured, with no dry patches of spice.
-
3
Add tomatoes and simmer the base
8 minutes
Medium-low heat 150°C (300°F)
Add the diced tomatoes (200 g) and the water (120 ml), stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes collapse into the vegetables and the base turns thick and saucy.
If the base looks dry before the tomatoes collapse, add a splash more water — it should simmer, not fry.
Done when: Tomatoes broken down into a thick, glossy sauce with no watery puddles.
-
4
Stir in the baked beans and peas
12 minutes
Medium-low heat 150°C (300°F)
Stir in the baked beans with all their sauce (410 g), the frozen peas (100 g), the sugar (8 g) and the salt (3 g). Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the relish is thick, glossy and bubbling slowly, and the beans are heated right through. This is the cooked-relish stage: the beans, carrot and pepper must simmer together, not just be mixed cold.
Stir from the bottom so the beans do not catch and scorch — a scorched pot will flavour the whole batch.
Done when: Thick enough to mound on a spoon, beans hot through, no pooling liquid.
-
5
Rest, taste and serve hot or cold
5 minutes
No heat needed
Take the pot off the heat and let the chakalaka rest for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust: a little more salt if it tastes flat, a pinch more sugar if the chilli dominates, more chilli only if you want it hotter. Serve warm with pap and braai meat, or cool it to room temperature — it is just as good cold.
Chakalaka improves as it sits — make it a few hours ahead, or the day before, and the flavours settle together.
Done when: Seasoned to taste, thick and glossy, ready to spoon.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the chakalaka into a bowl and serve it warm beside pap and grilled meat, or let it cool completely — it keeps its spicy-sweet flavour cold, and it is often better the next day, once the flavours have settled together.
South Africa
1h 5m
