Chakalaka

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the onions over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until softening and just colouring.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

2. Add the peppers and cook 3 minutes.

   Mark done

3. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, curry powder and paprika and fry, stirring, for 90 seconds. It should smell toasted, not raw.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

4. Add the grated carrot and cook 3 minutes, stirring.

   Mark done

5. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer 5 minutes until thickened.

   Mark done

6. Stir in the baked beans and warm through for 2 minutes only — cooked longer they collapse.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

7. Take off the heat, stir in the vinegar and coriander, and taste for salt and heat.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Fry the curry powder in the oil. Everything else here is easy; this is the step that carries the dish.
• Grate the carrot. Diced, it stays hard and the texture is wrong.
• It is as good cold as hot, and better the next day either way.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Boerewors from the braai
• Pap or samp
• A cold Castle lager

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 5 days and freeze 3 months. Traditionally eaten cold from the fridge as often as hot.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.