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Food in focus

Considering South Africa's colourful history, it's no wonder something as unique as Chakalaka was eventually created. It's said that way back when black mine workers threw everything they had, onions, carrots, garlic, chillies, cabbage, green pepper, ginger, curry spices, coriander and, if they had it, a can of baked beans in a pot, let it simmer and served whatever came out over their beloved pap.

If the 'sauce' had a chance to sit, it would have thickened and the flavours would have had a chance to improve wonderfully to create the spicy condiment we know as chakalaka today.

It's served as both a sauce and a relish, but also as a cold salad with other greens. And don't think it's only served in shebeens or at melancholic expat braais in the far corners of the world. Many a swanky bushveld, city or waterfront restauranteur, proud to show he knows how to fuse first world cuisine with third, is serving chakalaka in various guises.

Recently spotted at the more 'out there' establishments were such gourmand creations as 'Cajun and ginger spiced chicken breasts served on creamed leeks with a mild chakalaka sauce' or the South African Chef's Association's 'Thyme-rubbed springbok loin served with a chakalaka polenta'. It's even made it to the Epcot food and Wine Festival to be held later this year at Disneyland in the US where it's offered as 'Chakalaka with Mielkiebrood' (sic) with the explanation: 'vegetarian beans with corn meal cake $1.50!' It may not, strictly speaking, be vegetarian beans, but why not serve it with corn bread Sounds delish.

Or do as was seen on one of the Gallagher Estate menus: Roasted mealie pap rounds with tomato & onion chakalaka; at Steenberg Estate in the Cape, as Char-grilled Springbok loin with polenta (mieliepap), spicy cape vegetables (chakalaka), Portabello mushrooms and red-onion marmalade with a beef jus or from the Arabella Sheraton, Crispy lamb cutlets (crumbed) with prosciutto and chakalaka. A touch pretentious, yes, but proof that chakalaka is right up there with the best.

There's so much you can do with chakalaka once you've made a good lot of it. Leave it for a day or so for the flavours to fuse, then use in bread or muffin mixes, as a marinade for meat and kebabs, over pilchards, hamburgers, fish cakes; with pap and wors, with a Malay curry or stirred into mixed vegetables, sprinkled with cheese and grilled. In fact, it tastes so good that many a big food company has included it in its lineup of products, from stock and dry spice in a box to tinned chakalaka in medium or hot, braai marinades, 'pap mixes' and more.

Like most recipes, chakalaka ingredients vary quite a bit, but you won't go wrong with this perfect chakalaka recipe from True Love magazine.

The ingredients almost always include grated carrots, chopped garlic, chunks of green pepper, sliced onion, cauliflower florets, chopped chillies, curry powder and a tin of baked beans.

Tips & tricks

Once you've made your chakalaka, all that remains is teaming it with different dishes. Here's some inspiration from the food24 recipe archives:

• Chakalaka on Makhowa (mushroom) Dumplings served on salad greens
  
• Over Mashed potatoes with spinach and grilled pork chops
  
• Over Sausage and mealie kebabs at your next braai.
  
• As an alternate filling for Garlic and chilli stuffed green peppers
  
• With Fish strips in beer batter
  
• To spice up French bread stuffed with oysters
  
• With Lamb cutlets with pancetta and mozzarella
  
• With Aubergine stew or
  
• Chorizo and buffalo mozzarella olive rolls
  
• With Amasi chicken
  
• As an accompaniment to Baked liver and cheese
  
• Over Samp and beans
  
• With a typical African dish, Morogo, carrot and red pepper stir-fry
  
• With Tripe in wine and tomato sauce
  
• And with Baked mealie pap with cheese

10 things to do with Chakalaka

Tip of the day