This chakalaka is a flavourful relish that originally comes from South Africa. It’s spicy, tangy, and packed with fresh vegetables and beans. I think it’s best with crispy bread, but it’s also great with couscous, brown rice, or millet.
Why This Recipe Works
Chakalaka is a vegetable relish that comes from South Africa. History suggests that is was a staple for people who lived in the townships of Johannesburg or worked on the gold mines surrounding Johannesburg.
It’s traditionally served with bread, stews, or pap, a kind of porridge. But the recipe is super versatile and you can serve it with basically any meal. It’s also great with barbecues.
Traditional ingredients are carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and baked beans. There are many variations of chakalaka, but almost all recipes call for baked beans. They make this recipe filling and at the same time add a nice sweetness that goes well with the bell peppers and cabbage.
Chakalaka is usually spicy, but I love that you can easily make it as spicy or mild as you like. Just adjust the amount of chili powder to your personal liking.
I like to serve it with crusty bread, couscous, millet, or even brown rice. It’s a simple and flavorful one pot recipe that is vegan and gluten-free. You can serve it warm or cold.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Carrots
- Bell Pepper – I used a green and a red one.
- Cabbage
- Onion & Garlic
- Ginger
- Tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes.
- Baked Beans
- Vegetable Broth – use organic vegetable broth or my homemade paste for vegetable broth.
- Spices – curry powder, sweet paprika powder, chili powder, thyme, and smoked paprika powder.
- Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Dice the bell peppers.
2. Step: Cut the cabbage into thin strips. Cut the carrots into half moons.
3. Step: Finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger.
4. Step: Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
5. Step: Add the spices and stir well. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Step: Add the bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage.
7. Step: Stir and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
8. Step: Add the diced tomatoes and the baked beans. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes
- Butternut squash is also a great addition to this recipe. You could also use freshly diced tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.
- Traditional Chakalaka recipes call for canned baked beans. It adds a nice sweetness to the recipe. But you could also use canned white beans or even chickpeas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Recipe Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last up to 5 days.
Related Recipes
- Jackfruit Buffalo Dip
- Chipotle Sauce
- Sweet Potato Fries Dipping Sauce
- Creamy Vegan Dip with Dates
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this chakalaka as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Chakalaka
Ingredients
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 2 carrots, cut into half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 7 oz cabbage
- 1 can baked beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons vegetable broth powder or paste
- black pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Dice the bell peppers.
- Cut the cabbage into thin strips. Cut the carrots into half moons.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Add the spices and stir well. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Then add the bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage.
- Stir and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the baked beans. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Butternut squash is also a great addition to this recipe. You could also use freshly diced tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.
- Traditional Chakalaka recipes call for canned baked beans. It adds a nice sweetness to the recipe. But you could also use canned white beans or even chickpeas.
Nutrition
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