Chakalaka with fried eggs

Chakalaka is fun to say, but also brilliant to eat, with it's combination of spice, sweet, salt and crunch. Originally from Soweto, the relish is now found across South Africa as an accompaniment to any braai (barbecue) or even as a dish in itself. One of the best chakalakas out there belongs to Chef Joyce of Sabi Sabi, and this version takes inspiration from her masterpiece.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 4 cm x 3 cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp each ground turmeric and ground cumin
• 1 large carrot, coarsely grated
• 1 each red and yellow capsicum, roughly chopped
• 3 ripe truss tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp (50 g) tomato paste
• 2 tbsp (40 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup (250ml) water
• 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Coriander or basil leaves, crispy fried eggs, chargrilled sourdough, to serve

Makes: About 2½ cups chakalaka

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bay leaf and thyme and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger to the pan and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant – taking care not to burn the garlic.
2. Add the spices and cook for a further minute, stirring, allowing the flavours to toast but not burn. Add the carrot, capsicums, tomatoes and tomato paste, then cook for a further 3–4 minutes, until lightly caramelised. Add the vinegar and water to the pan, season with a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, or until reduced and thickened.
3. Add the chickpeas and stir to warm through. Season to taste.
4. Serve immediately as a warm relish scattered with herbs, crispy fried eggs and chargrilled sourdough, or store in a jar or airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.