Chakalaka is South Africa’s most loved relish. As a kid I grew up eating chakalaka at least once a week, particularly on a Sunday. It would be accompanied by either a starch or protein but rarely eaten alone. It’s a vegetable relish, usually spicy – depending on how much heat you can handle! For my version of this recipe, you can enjoy it with toasted sourdough and a sunny-side-up egg.
Prep Time: 15mins
Cooking time: 30mins
Ingredients
3tbs Olive oil
½ Onion diced
1tbs Crushed garlic
1tbs Paprika
1tbs Curry powder
½ Red, ½ Yellow and ½ Green pepper (diced)
½ Can tomatoes (diced)
2tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Vegetable bouillon cube
½ Can baked beans
1tbs Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Slices sourdough
4 Eggs
Handful chopped cilantro
Lorna Maseko ceramic non-stick 8 skillet
Lorna Maseko ceramic non-stick 9.5 skillet
Slotted turner
Spoon
Method
- Using the Lorna Maseko ceramic non stick 9.5 skillet, drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil into your pan, then add diced onion, and sauté until slightly brown. Add crushed garlic and stir. Then add paprika, curry powder and combine.
- Add all the peppers and sauté until soft. Add diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, and bouillon cube. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer for about 5mins.
- Finally add baked beans, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer for a further 5mins.
- While that cooks, In another pan, toast sourdough bread until golden brown and crispy. In the same pan, drizzle the remaining olive oil as you need per egg, crack the egg and cook to your liking.
- Enjoy toasted sourdough with Chakalaka and a delicious runny egg.
I learned about African cuisine from a caregiver from Zambia Betty. This recipe is so life giving like the peoples of Africa. In Spain this recipe is missing the amazing curry spice and has different peppers.
I love international cuisines and curry is a favorite ingrediant of mine in many dishes. I thought I’d share a recipe for Plantain omelet from south America thats simuliar with carmelized banana bottom.
For the omelet:
6 large eggs
120 grams full-fat coconut milk* (at least 70% coconut extract)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
5 grams fresh chives, finely chopped
5 grams fresh coriander, finely chopped
40 grams spring greens or collard greens, very thinly sliced
100 grams feta, broken into medium chunks
2 very ripe medium plantains (460 grams)
30 grams ghee or unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the salsa & to serve:
200 grams extra-ripe cherry tomatoes, such as Datterini
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon flaked salt, plus more for serving
1 to 2 Scotch Bonnet chiles (or a milder chile, like habanero, if you prefer)
Olive oil, for serving
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
For the omelet:
Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C on the convection setting.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon of fine salt. Stir in the chives, coriander, spring greens, and feta. Set aside.
Place a medium, ovenproof, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee and the oil. Once the ghee has melted, layer the plantain slices to cover the bottom of the pan, then set a timer for 3 minutes and cook without stirring or flipping the plantain, to create a caramelized, golden layer on the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, then pour over the egg mixture to evenly cover the base, and leave to fry for another 1 minute undisturbed. The omelet should be set around the edges but still liquid in the middle.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the omelet is just set on top, with a good wobble in the center. Don’t be afraid of this wobble–the omelet will set a little as it cools, but also we (or at least I) want the omelet to have a soft, oozing center! Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to release the sides of the omelet from the pan.
For the salsa & to serve:
Finely chop the cherry tomatoes into very small pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl, using your hands as a natural sieve so you don’t take all the liquid and seeds with you (otherwise the salsa will be quite soggy). Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, oil, and flaked salt.
Very finely chop the Scotch Bonnet—they vary substantially in heat level, so start with a quarter of a chile, removing the seeds and pith if you prefer a milder heat. Add to the salsa, stir and taste, then add more to taste, up to 2 finely chopped chiles.
Place a large plate on top of the pan, then quickly flip the whole thing over so the omelet ends up on the plate. Hopefully all the plantain pieces will end up on the omelet, but if not, just peel them from the pan and place them back on top, golden-brown side up.
Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with flaked salt. Serve with the salsa on the side, and some extra lime wedges squeezed on top.
(food52.com)