From the beautiful country of South Africa hails the spicy and delicious vegetable relish called CHAKALAKA.
It is a staple meal and frequently eaten in celebrations and barbecues round the country. The back story of Chakalaka is that it originated from the Mozambican goldmine workers who combined canned tomatoes/beans and chili with vegetables to form the dish. It was usually eaten alongside with pap or starchy meals.
In terms of preparation, there are many ways one can make Chakalaka. And guess what? It just takes about 40 minutes (max) of your time. Why don’t we delve into the method of preparation of this staple??!
INGREDIENTS
- Baked beans/ Boiled beans
- Onions and Tomatoes (diced)
- Grated Cabbage
- Cooking oil
- Chopped red and green peppers
- Ginger (grated)
- Curry powder (2 tablespoons)
- Thyme
- Grated Carrot
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic
- Salt and black pepper (ground)
METHOD OF PREPARATION
STEP 1
Pour cooking oil into a pan and fry the diced onions until they become translucent.
N.B. – Maintain medium heat throughout your cooking to avoid “burnt offering”!!! LoL!!
STEP 2
Add the ginger, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, chilies, curry powder and stir. Keep stirring for the next five minutes until they are cooked.
STEP 3
Then, bring in the diced tomatoes, grated carrot, red and green peppers and grated cabbage. While stirring, ensure that all these are combined especially with the curry powder. Allow to simmer for another five minutes.
STEP 4
At this juncture, add your baked or boiled beans and black pepper to beef up its spiceness. Add salt to taste (if need be) and cook for three minutes. Serve warm or cold, depending on your taste.
Chakalaka is a side dish can be eaten as a salad, sauce or vegetable relish. One can also eat with pap, toast, crackers, barbecued meat (braaied), bread or stew.
CONCLUSION
One amazing thing about Chakalaka is that you don’t have to break the bank to prepare it. It just involves the usage of the simple ingredients you have and one will be rewarded with a meal that can accommodate up to six servings.
Check out the video on how to prepare this mouth-watering dish.