Fiery Chakalaka with Creamy Stiff Pap

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

South Africa's favourite braai sidekick: a spicy, sweet-edged relish of carrots, peppers and baked beans, spooned alongside soft-yet-firm maize pap. Cheap, cheerful and deeply comforting — the kind of plate you eat with your fingers and no apology.

Per serving: 585 kcal · 14.5g protein · 95.0g carbs · 16.0g fat

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1-2 red chillies, finely chopped (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)
• 3 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 x 400g tin baked beans in tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper
• Small handful coriander leaves, chopped
• For the pap:
• 1.2 litres water
• 1 tsp salt
• 350g white maize meal (mielie meal)
• 20g butter (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 6-8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika, ground coriander and chilli. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the grated carrot and both peppers. Cook, stirring, for 6-7 minutes until they soften but keep a little bite.
4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and jammy.
5. Stir through the baked beans, season with salt and pepper, and warm through for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the coriander. Taste — it should be sweet, spicy and tangy.
6. Meanwhile, make the pap: bring the water and salt to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. Sprinkle in about a third of the maize meal, whisking hard to avoid lumps.
7. Add the rest of the maize meal in a mound, cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes without stirring.
8. Uncover and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth and stiff; beat in the butter. Cover and steam another 5 minutes.
9. Spoon generous mounds of pap onto plates with the chakalaka alongside. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
10. Leftover chakalaka is even better the next day, cold, in a sandwich.