Happy Heritage Month: No chakalaka, no braai!

Growing up, foodie content creator Purity Mvelase used to help her mother make “Sunday kos”.  For those unfamiliar with this meal, in most Black households it’s also referred to as “seven colours” — a feast adapted from the British Sunday roast. This meal is as much a part of our heritage as sorghum porridge or masonja. Self-taught cook Mvelase takes us through the side dishes that often accompany this meal and shares some recipes.

Born in Pietermaritzburg, Mvelase started doing content creation last year, although she’s been cooking for nearly her whole life. She specialises in traditional dishes, which she refers to as everyday food. Mvelase says she’s noticed that a lot of people struggle with making phuthu.

“Traditionally, it’s okay for uphutu to burn, it’s normal for uphuthu to burn, but it’s something with which people struggle. You’ll find that some people say they are unable to get it crumbly. If you can’t use a wooden spoon to make crumbs, opt for a fork. And you need to control the heat when making uphuthu,” she says. 

In the aforementioned “Sunday kos” or “seven colours”, many side dishes come with the main meal, such as chakalaka, Johan 14 (coleslaw), ushathini, beetroot, butternut or pumpkin, and Greek salad.

“Normally, people cook chakalaka with green chilies to make it spicy, but I cook mine with habanero peppers — that’s my go-to for that spicy flavour. With regard to coleslaw, you can make it with coriander, add red and white cabbage, or use chopped spinach, for a twist. With butternut, you can add cinnamon instead of sugar, and with the beetroot you can add mayonnaise — it’s something that’s not popular but very nice. The mayonnaise gives it a creamy taste while not overpowering the taste of the beetroot.”

These side dishes are versatile and perfectly at home accompanying a traditional spread of umleqwa,  isijingi, and ujeqe, or accompanying some braaied meat, whether it’s chicken or beef.

Mvelase advises making some of dishes the day before to minimise work on the day you are hosting. Because chakalaka and pumpkin can be enjoyed hot or cold, you can make these dishes ahead of the time; however, you’ll need to steam the pumpkin so that it doesn’t become soggy. The salsa is best made on the day of the event, as storing it will cause the tomato to become mushy. If you do opt to do it the day before, it would be advisable not to refrigerate it. Otherwise, if anything can be done in advance, do it — the point of hosting (besides providing a delicious meal) is to look after your guests.

You can also get creative with sweet potatoes, making sweet-potato fries or roasting them on the braai.

Mvelase’s number-one hosting tip is to find out if your guests have allergies. She once had a guest who was allergic to cabbage at a dinner party and, unaware of this, served them salsa that had been chopped at the same time as cabbage.

Lastly, try to serve your guests at the same time — there’s nothing as annoying as having to wait for your plate while other people are eating. 

Here are two simple recipes for side dishes that will make you the toast of any lunch or braai this Heritage Day.

Hot chakalaka 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 each red, yellow, and green peppers, chopped

2 habanero peppers, chopped

1 tsp garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp curry powder

3 carrots, grated

Salt to taste

1 can baked beans

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onion, peppers, and habanero peppers for 1 minute.
2. Add the garlic and curry powder. Fry until fragrant. Add the carrots and cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
3. Season, then cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the baked beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve warm or cold

Cucumber salsa

Ingredients

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, thinly chopped

1/4 cup cucumber, diced

1 Tbsp fresh coriander, minced

1/2 cup white vinegar

Salt to taste

Method

In a bowl combine all the vegetables, add vinegar and mix.

Add salt to taste and finish off with coriander.

Serve as a side