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South African

Chakalaka

Vegetarian

A spicy, colourful relish of peppers, grated carrot, onion and tomatoes cooked with curry powder and baked beans. A fixture at South African braais alongside pap.

Chakalaka is a South African side dish, ready in about 40 minutes and made with curry powder, carrot and baked beans (canned). It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
179

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil, then add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, chilli and curry powder (opens in a new tab) and cook for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the peppers and carrot (opens in a new tab) and cook, stirring, until just tender.

    • 6 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened.

    • 8 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the beans and salt, heat through, and serve hot or at room temperature.

    • 4 min
    • low heat
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
South Africa · Commonly attributedWidely said to have developed in Johannesburg-area townships; the details of its origin are anecdotal.More food from South Africa
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Simmered, Sautéed
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), sweet & savoury, tangy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
With the listed swaps: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Curry powder · Carrot · Baked beans (canned) · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
  • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

179 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 255 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 55%
  • Fat 35%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy179 kcal70 kcal
Protein5.2 g2 g
Carbohydrate26.8 g10.5 g
Net carbohydrate19.9 g7.8 g
Sugars11.7 g4.6 g
Added sugars3.5 g1.4 g
Fibre7 g2.7 g
Fat7.6 g3 g
Saturated fat0.6 g0.3 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium630 mg247 mg
Salt equivalent1.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
537 mg
Calcium
77 mg
Iron
1.8 mg
Magnesium
41 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
303 µg
Vitamin C
58 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
39 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Chakalaka tastes better the next day once the flavours have mingled.

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the carrot and peppers to mush — they should keep a little bite.

Serve with

  • Serve with pap (stiff maize porridge) and grilled boerewors or chicken.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 5 days; flavours improve overnight.

Reheating

  • Serve cold, room temperature or warmed through.

Variations

  • With cabbage: Some families add shredded cabbage with the peppers.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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