~428 cal · 9g protein · 74g carbs · 13g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Bright chakalaka relish beside a mound of white pap
🇿🇦 KwaZulu-Natal
Chakalaka was born in Johannesburg’s townships and spread everywhere braais are lit; every family adjusts the heat and swears by their version. Pap, the maize porridge beside it, has anchored Southern African tables for generations.
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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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2 cups white maize meal (for pap)
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14 oz can baked beans in tomato sauce
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3 carrots, grated
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1 each green and red bell peppers, diced
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1 onion, diced
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2 tomatoes, chopped
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1.5 tbsp mild curry powder
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3 cloves + 1-inch garlic and ginger, minced
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1–2 green chilies
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3 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
1
Start the pap: whisk maize meal into 4 cups simmering salted water, cover, and cook low 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and smooth.
2
Fry the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies in oil until soft. Bloom the curry powder for 1 minute.
3
Add peppers and carrots; cook 5 minutes so they keep a little bite.
4
Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes, then fold in the baked beans and warm through. Season.
5
Serve the chakalaka hot or room-temperature beside the pap — and anything off the grill.
Township braai tradition, KwaZulu-Natal table.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
KwaZulu-Natal. Zulu heartland and Durban’s curry coast.
🗺️
South Africa. The rainbow nation’s braai fires and township kitchens.
🌍
Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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