Traditional CHAKALAKA with BEANS

SERVES 6 AS A SIDE / PREPARATION: 15 MIN / COOKING: 45 MIN

A truly South African dish! Serve it with braaied meat and your favourite pap or other side dishes of your choice.

5ml (1t) cumin seeds

15ml (1T) coriander seeds

30ml (2T) oil

½ each green, yellow and red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips 2 onions, sliced 2-4 garlic cloves, chopped

5cm fresh ginger, finely chopped 2-3 chillies, chopped (optional) 750ml (3c) or ½ cabbage, shredded 3-4 carrots, scraped and coarsely grated 15ml (1T) roasted masala

5ml (1t) turmeric 5ml (1t) paprika 1 small butternut, peeled, deseeded and diced 250ml (1c) vegetable or chicken stock

1 can (410g) chopped tomatoes 1 can (410g) baked beans in tomato sauce 15ml (1T) brown sugar

5ml (1t) white wine vinegar salt and freshly ground pepper

TO SERVE cooked boerewors side dishes of your choice

1 Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and the seeds begin to colour slightly. Remove from the pan, allow to cool and grind coarsely.

2 Heat half the oil in a saucepan and fry the pepper strips for a few minutes until soft. Remove from the saucepan and set aside. 3 Pour the rest of the oil into the saucepan and fry the onions over moderate heat until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies (if using) and stir-fry until fragrant.

4 Add the cabbage and carrots and stirfry for 5-10 minutes or until the cabbage begins to soften. Stir in the masala, turmeric and paprika.

5 Add the butternut cubes and pour the stock over. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the butternut is cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent burning and add a little water if the mixture gets too dry.

6 Add the tomatoes, stir to combine well and simmer over moderate heat for another 5 minutes. Stir in the baked beans, sugar and vinegar and simmer for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7 To serve Serve the chakalaka with cooked boerewors and any other side dishes of your choice.