Chakalaka – Immaculate Bites

Chakalaka Recipe – This unique relish makes an incredible side dish. It tastes amazing, makes a great talking point at dinner parties, and is a fabulous way to top grilled meats. Simple yet delightful, you’ll love this South African–born dish. 🫶🏿

Traditionally, this dish is fairly spicy, and you know I love to bring on the heat. But one of the beautiful things about it is how easy it is to customize. Not only can you choose what veggies and beans to include, but you can dial up or down the spice to as hot or mild as you like it. 🔥

This dish pairs well with just about any meal, but I especially like to pair it with proteins. I put it on grilled steaks or alongside a pan-fried pork chop. It’s one of my favorite ways to up my vegetable intake. 

What Is Chakalaka?

Chakalaka is a South African dish and a staple throughout the country. It contains chopped veggies, tomatoes, beans, and plenty of seasonings. It creates an amazing relish to top other dishes or as a standalone side.

Usually, people serve it mostly during celebrations or gatherings, and it’s a must-have during braais (South African barbecues). Legend has it that men working in the goldmines invented this recipe. They would mix up whatever vegetables they had with canned beans for a fast, easy, and tasty relish to pair with starchy sides. 

Recipe Ingredients

1. Aromatics – Onion, garlic, and ginger set the stage for a highly flavorful side dish (it also smells amazing).
2. Veggies – Tomatoes, cabbage, chili peppers, carrots, and green and red bell peppers constitute my veggie selection for this dish.
3. Seasonings – Smoked paprika, curry and cayenne powder, thyme, and bouillon add flavor and nutrition.
4. Beans make this dish extra filling. You can use any beans you like, but baked beans add some sweetness, which acts as a foil to the chili peppers.

How to Make Chakalaka

• Saute – Heat oil over medium in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Then, add the onion and saute for a minute or two. (Photo 1)
• Season – Stir in the spices (garlic, ginger, smoked paprika, curry, cayenne pepper, and thyme), and continue stirring for a minute or two to so the flavors bloom. (Photos 2-3)
• Veggies – Next, add the tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage. Stir to combine. (Photo 4)
• Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• Beans – Finally, add the baked beans and bouillon powder (or salt) to taste. Stir gently and continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes. (Photo 5-6)
• Serve – Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe Variations

1. Customize the veggies. You can use a variety of other vegetables like green beans, corn, or zucchini.
2. Choose your temp. Chakalaka can be enjoyed hot, room temperature, or cold.
3. Omit the beans. Beans are a highlight of this dish for many people, but if you don’t like beans, then just make it a veggie relish. It still looks and tastes beautiful. 😍

Tips and Tricks

1. Use fresh ingredients. Freshness enhances the flavor and texture of the chakalaka.
2. If the texture of the chakalaka turns out too thick, add a little vegetable stock or water. If it’s too thin, let it cook uncovered to thicken.
3. Watch the heat once done with sauteing. After the veggies cook, keep the heat fairly low to prevent burning and turning everything to mush. 

Make-Ahead and Serving Instructions

This dish is a great make-ahead! Make it the day before you want to serve it, and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. The next day, serve it chilled or warm it up gently on the stovetop over medium heat.

Serve chakalaka with corn pudding (pap) and South African sausage (wors) if you can. But rice and grilled meat also work. Garnish it with some freshly chopped parsley if you please. Leftover chakalaka can last refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days and frozen for over 3 months.

What Goes With Chakalaka

Chakalaka is extremely versatile, so feel free to get creative! Chakalaka and pap and wors are the traditional pairings, but grilled flank steak or spicy grilled New York steak won’t break anyone’s heart. Pap is a South African maize porridge that’s a little thicker than your usual grits recipe but softer than ugali. 😋

More Veggie-Packed Side Dishes to Try

1. Pea Salad
2. Sweet Potato Salad
3. Githeri (Boiled Corn and Beans)
4. Cornbread Salad
5. Black Bean and Corn Salad

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in November 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video