Chef Katlego Mlambo recalls one of the most memorable highlights of his 13-year career as the day when 500 of the most important people in the world, including Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, ate his chakalaka. The Kudu head chef shares his recipe for his chakalaka.
Mlambo took the reins as head chef at the Nelson Mandela Centenary Celebrations, hosted at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC in 2019. This is the recipe that he used to bring a taste of the kasi (township) to the United States.
“This was food that I grew up eating. It’s food that I enjoyed, and it was being served at the Smithsonian Museum being eaten by 500 of the most important people in the world! And I’m just this kid from Africa, so it was really something humbling,” he says.
Living his wildest food dream
The young chef attributes his passion for delicious food to his gogo, Betty Mlambo. Growing up, Mlambo describes her meals as one-pot wonders of magic.
“I’ve been very blessed, I’ve travelled around the world but my granny Betty is still the best cook I know. She’s my inspiration. This lady would put everything in a pot and make one of those one–pot wonders and every single time it would be delicious. Every single time it’s comforting and it ticks all the right boxes.”
His journey into the art of fine dining first began when he took a gap year travelling through Europe. His ambitions have seen him travel the world in a bid to understand and explore flavour.
After three years of bartending and waiting tables in the UK, Mlambo returned to South Africa to pursue his Cordons Bleus Grande Diplome at the Silwood School of Cookery in Cape Town.
His love for fine dining was further cultivated when he completed his practical training at one of the world’s top restaurants – La Colombe in Constantia, Cape Town.
“In my third year at La Colombe, I learned so much and I worked with chef Luke Dale Roberts, chef Scot Kirtan – all these South African culinary giants – and it was just amazing,” he says.
READ NEXT: Tuck into these pocket-friendly chicken livers
Get the Mzansi Flavour newsletter: A weekly serving of crave-able recipes and handy lifestyle tips.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 green bird’s-eye chilies (Thai chilies), seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 50 grams ginger, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- 5 large carrots, scrubbed, topped, tailed and grated
- 400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 grams canned baked beans
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 10 grams fresh curry leaves
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the chilies, garlic and half of the ginger (reserve the other half to add right at the end).
2. Add the curry powder and stir to combine. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are well combined with the other ingredients and coated in the curry powder. Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir.
3. Cook until the mixture is well combined and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and add the baked beans, thyme and remaining ginger and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve hot or cold and garnish with deep-fried curry leaves.
