Name: Chakalaka and Cheddar Braaibroodjies (Grilled Cheese Sandwiches)
Total time: 1 sandwich
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 slices good-quality sandwich bread; ¼ cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese; ¼ cup Chakalaka or any relish or chutney of your choice; 2 thin slices onion (any type)

Photo of a grilled cheese sandwich with chakalaka on a marble countertop.

Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell

These grilled cheese sandwiches are typically truly grilled, meaning they are thrown on an outdoor grill over open coals, and are usually served as a sort of snack after a big barbecue (known as a braai in South Africa). They’re a perfect midnight snack and the best way to make use of still-hot coals if you get a second wave of hunger after you’ve eaten a meal and the party is still going. The liberal spoonful of Chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish) makes these extra special. If you don’t have a jar of it in your fridge, you can use any type of relish or chutney. Since we don’t want you to have to wait until you have an outdoor grill going just to make these, we simply call for a hot cast-iron pan. The mayonnaise spread on the outside of the sandwiches means every single bit of the bread will get browned and caramelized.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 sandwich

Ingredients

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 slices good-quality sandwich bread

¼ cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese

¼ cup Chakalaka or any relish or chutney of your choice

2 thin slices onion (any type)

Preparation

Step 1
Set a cast-iron pan or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice of bread mayonnaise-side down in the skillet and top it with half the cheese, then top with the chakalaka and onion. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the onion, then place the second piece of bread, mayonnaise-side up, on top.
Step 2
Cover the pan and cook until the bottom of the sandwich is browned, about 2 minutes. Give the sandwich a good press with a spatula and then carefully flip it over, cover, and cook until the second side is browned and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

In Bibi's Kitchen cookbook cover with photo of hands preparing seeds.

Reprinted from In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean. by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen, copyright © 2020. Photographs by Khadija M. Farah & Jennifer May. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from Amazon.