I believe it’s time to clear the air a bit when it comes to callaloo in respect to Jamaican Callaloo and callaloo from the other islands which make up the Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago and many of the other Caribbean islands, callaloo is a lovely rich soup made from tender dasheen bush leaves (or spinach) which is flavored with coconut milk and crab (or salted meats). This callaloo soup is part of a hearty traditional Sunday lunch on the islands and like it’s cousin from Jamaica, it’s very nutritious.

Jamaican callaloo on the other hand is more the name of a plant (amaranth) which is used in making the popular Jamaican dish, by the same name. In Trinidad and Tobago, the same callaloo plant (amaranth) is known as chorai bhaji or in some cases spinach and cooked in pretty much the same way as it’s done in Jamaica. So remember when speaking to a “Trini” or “Jamaican” about callaloo, that they’re two different dishes and we’re as passionate about each.

BTW, did you know that the same callaloo plant (amaranth) is known as pig weed in North America and there are close to 60 species? Enough of the school-like lesson, lets cook..

You’ll Need…

1 bundle of Callaloo (about 2lbs)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme (couple sprigs)
1/4 lb boneless salted fish (see note below)
2 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 tomato
1 onion

Notes: You’ll notice that I didn’t include any salt in this recipe as the salted fish adds enough salt to the dish. However you can check near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly. When shopping for callaloo for this type of dish visit a West Indian supermarket and ask for Jamaican callaloo. I like using boneless/skinless salted fish and my choice is usually Cod or Pollock. Makes for much easier work than having to remove the tiny bones and soaking overnight. When using any hot pepper remember that the majority of the heat is in the seeds and the white membrane surrounding the seeds. Don’t include those if you’re concerned about ‘real’ heat.

* To make this dish fully vegetarian (very tasty) simply leave out the saltfish and I would personally add some crushed garlic for that extra level of flavor. Add the garlic when cooking the onion at the start. Same cooking time applies.

Let’s start by prepping the saltfish as we need to try and remove most of the salt and rehydrate the fish itself. Now I’ve been scolded in the past that I don’t soak my saltfish overnight as it’s traditionally done in the Caribbean. Here is the thing, the saltfish I use is always boneless and skinless (pretty much a fillet) and I find that it’s not as salty or dry as the variety you find in the Caribbean. So if you’re using the whole fish (type we get in the Caribbean) you can soak overnight in cool water, discard that water and boil in fresh water as you’ll see me do below. Or simply boil in two batches of water and you should be good to go.

In a deep pot I put enough water to go about 1-2 inches above the fish and I bring that to a boil. I then allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, then I drain and rinse with cool water (squeeze dry). The next step is to shred the fish (should be soft and flaky at this point) and set aside. You can use your fingers or a fork.

Then prep the onion, tomato, hot pepper and thyme. Simply dice/chop.

Now it’s time to work with the star of the show (please see the video below to follow along). Give the callaloo a good wash under running water, then get ready to trim and cut. Remove all the leaves from the stems and get rid of any leaves that are discolored. You can now use the tender stems (they may look thick, but the majority will be tender). Using a pairing knife or potato peeler, peel the thin skin on the outside of the stems (see the video below), The idea is to remove the sort sort of waxy exterior so it cooks down to be tender.

Give the leaves and cleaned stems a good rinse in water and shake dry. The final step in preparing is to create small bundles and chop about 1/2 inch shreds. You can give that another rise under cool water (I put mine in a drainer) and you’re set to cook.

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a fairly deep sauce pan, then add the onion and cook for a couple minutes. Just long enough to soften the onion and flavor the oil. Now add the thyme, black pepper and slices of scotch bonnet pepper and cook for another couple minutes. Have your kitchen window open or the fan above the stove on, if you have one as the hot oil and hot pepper will cause you to possibly cough.

By this time the shredded callaloo should have drained properly, so start adding it to the pot. It will pile up, but rest assured it wilt down quickly. Give it a good stir, add the water and bring it up to a boil. Now lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, it’s time to add the tomato and pieces of salted fish to the pot. Then give it a good stir, cover the pot and allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring. If you find that you don’t have any liquid it means your heat is too high. Add a bit of water and continue cooking. After 10 minutes the callaloo should be fully cooked. It will not be as bright green as when you first started off, but don’t be fooled.. it will taste amazing.

If you find (you should) that there’s still liquid at the bottom of the pan, remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook for another 4-5 minutes until all that liquid dries off.

You now have a classic Jamaican callaloo dish that’s ready to serve.

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Though it’s been a very hot and humid summer, the little kitchen garden we have at the back of our home is in full production. Must be all the watering I’ve been doing  and the special relationship I have with my plants   If you’ve been part of our discussion group on facebook (see Caribbean Pot On Facebook) you would have seen the pics I shared when these chorai (Jamaican Callaloo) bhaji were just a week old and how small they were. Well, the plants are now over 5 feet tall and that’s after I’ve already cut them back a couple times. No-joke, the leaves are almost as big as tobacco leaves. I’m sure I’ll be able to reap a couple more times before the season ends. If you’re looking for a vegetarian version of this recipe or you just don’t want to deal with the swine, check out : Chorai Bhaji Recipe.

You’ll Need…

1 bunch of Chorai bhaji (about 2 lbs) (same as Jamaican callaloo)
1 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion sliced
1/4 hot pepper (whatever you like using.. I used habanero) * remember to avoid using the seeds if you want to avoid most of the heat.
salt  – see notes below since we’re using salted pigtail.
1 lb salted pig tails cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup coconut milk

* Click here for a  >>> Trinbago Callaloo Recipe

It’s recommended that you try to get your butcher to cut your pigtails for you, as it can do some serious damage to your knives if you try this at home. The middle bone can be very tough, so I opted to use my heavy Chinese clever that I have. Then I rinse and place in a pot with enough water to cover  by at least 3 inches. Place the pot on a high flame and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 40 minutes. This will do two things. It will help it get tender since the cooking time of the bhaji will not be long enough to fully tenderize this. And it will help remove most of the salt the pig tails were cured in.

If your chorai is not already trimmed, remove all the leaves from the thick stalk (discard thick stalk), but if thin ones are tender, you can include some as they will cook-down nicely. Then full your sink or  alarge bowl with water and give this a good wash. Rinse again under running water, since you really want to remove any dirt or sand from between the leaves. Then drain and make little bundles (roll) and give a rough chop. The rough chop is optional if your leaves are small, since some people like seeing the fully cooked leaves.

Slice the pepper, onion and garlic and get ready for cooking after the pig tail have cooked for the 40 minutes or so. In a large pot, heat the oil and cook half of the onions under medium heat for about 3 minutes. You can now starting adding the chopped chorai to the pot. It will look like a lot, but it will wilt and cook down. Top with the remaining onion, garlic and hot pepper when there’s room in the pot. Drain the cooked salted pigtail pieces and add to the pot as well. Feel free to add the coconut milk so everything can cook in this rich milky goodness.

Stir well, cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. It will spring up a lot of it’s own juices, so after 15 minutes of cooking turn up the heat and cook-off all the remaining liquid. Watch it closely and stir to avoid sticking and burning. Should take about 5 minutes on high heat to cook down the liquid. Taste for salt, since we didn’t add any as it’s hard to determine if the remaining salt in the pigtail would be enough for the dish. I had to add a slight dusting of salt to mine.

Like all the recipes on here, it’s very simple to make and if you’re not turned off by the salted pigtails… it’s very tasty! Be sure to leave your comments below (always appreciated) and connect with via our Face Book fan page (click on image below). BTW, if you looking for other bhaji recipes, you can also check out: Pak Choi | Baby Spinach | Swiss Chard

We had just moved to Canada and I was living with my aunt. Back then there were a handful of Caribbean people in Hamilton and the few of us that went to the same high school did just about everything together. My group included a fella from Dominica, Barbados and one from Jamaica. To this day we’re still very close and still pretty much a tight unit. Richard, my friend from Jamaica called me to ask if my aunt wanted some Callaloo… kinda strange that he would ask me if my aunt wanted some and not me. I answered yes, since I knew whatever comes home is open game. It had been months since I had last eaten callaloo (back then finding Caribbean food stuff in the supermarkets was very tough) so I was licking my chops at the thought of eating some callaloo (I wonder if he would bring some rice and stew chicken with it?). Another strange thing he said was .. he was up on the farm.

Mr man showed up about 2 hrs later with a huge bag of callaloo… not the rich and creamy,  soup like dish we make in Trinidad and Tobago with crabs and coconut milk (see Callaloo), but the bhaji we call chorai. I learned that day that our Jamaican brothers and sisters refer to what we call Chorai.. as being callaloo. BTW, that was the most healthy leaves of callaloo chorai I had ever seen. Seems the migrant workers who come up to work on the farms here in Canada plant this “callaloo” to sell on the side to make extra money and to give to friends as well. The leaves were so huge, at first I thought it was tobacco. At least my aunt was happy, as she had something to cook that night that reminded us of home.

As I’ve mentioned in the past I LOVE any and all bhaji (pak choi, baby spinach, swiss chard and dasheen bush) so this recipe is very special to me. If you really want to add extra flavours to this dish you can add either coconut cream and/or pieces of salted cod to it. Leave me a comment below if you’d like info on adding those two things. My dad also like his bhaji with salted pig tails or salted beef pieces served with flour dumplings.

You’ll Need…

1 bunch of Chorai bhaji (about 2 lbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion sliced
1/4 hot pepper (whatever you like using.. I used habanero) * remember to avoid using the seeds if you want to avoid most of the heat.
1/4 teaspoon salt

Weather you buy it at the grocery or grow it in your garden , you MUST wash the chorai a few times, as sand and dirt gets all over it during the growing process. I usually fill the sink with cool water and soak it for a few minutes. Then I gently shake the leaves and remove them from the water. This allows most of the dirt to remain in the sink. I then rinse the leaves again under running water just to be sure that I get rid of any dirt. If the stems are hardy, you’ll have to remove those , as it will be bitter and will not be tender when cooked. The stems in the batch I had were very tender, so used everything.

I cut each stem/leaves into 2 inch pieces (roll the leaves and cut – see pic below), then I rinse under cool water one more time and allow to drain in a strainer.

After you’ve cut, washed and allow to dry off, it’s time to cook. In a deep pot heat the oil on medium heat. Now add 1/4 of the onion to the heated oil and cook until soft and starts going brown on the edges. The next step is to add the cut chorai to the pot and gently stir around. It will seem as if the pot is not large enough, but as it cooks it will wilt. After you’ve added all the chorai, add the rest of the sliced onion, salt, pepper and garlic (add whole as it will melt down while cooking).

Allow this to cook (covered) on medium/low heat (it will spring up a lot of it’s own juices) for about 20-25 minutes. If you find that there’s still liquid after this time, turn up the heat and burn it off. It will become a bit mushy and will go a darker green, but that’s normal.

This is excellent when paired with roti, fry bake or rice and dhal… makes a deadly sandwich as well and if all fails, get a pita bread. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below and PLEASE don’t forget to be part of the LARGEST Face Book fan page dedicated to foods of the Caribbean. BTW, my North American friends.. this dish is similar to spinach and can be used just the same (except you’ll find that the texture is a bit different)

What would Sunday lunch (the biggest meal of the week on the islands) be without a healthy serving of Callaloo, rice, stew chicken, macaroni pie and slices of fried plantains? Not to be confused with Jamaican callaloo, callaloo is an actual dish and it’s not made from the bush/plant that our Jamaican friends call callaloo. The main ingredient in our callaloo dish is the tender baby leaves of the dasheen plant (also called dasheen bush) or in my case (couldn’t find dasheen leaves) I used tender baby spinach. Living in North America means there are times when we must find substitutes for traditional ingredients used in many of our dishes as it’s hard to source the ingredients normally used.

Though the recipe I’m about to share with you is not the traditional way of making callaloo, you’ll find that it’s very tasty, similar in texture and appearance to the real deal.

You’ll Need

2 cans (400 ml) coconut milk
Water (see below for amount)
6 cloves garlic
2 lbs Spinach (baby leaves work best)
1 lb ochro (okra)
1/2 onion sliced
2 crabs (split into 2 pieces each)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 sprigs of thyme
1 green habanero or scotch bonnet pepper (add any pepper you like)
1 teaspoon Goldenray butter (optional but makes a big difference)

Before we get to the actual steps in making the callaloo I must mention that if you can’t source (like me) tender dasheen leaves, it’s important that you not use ordinary spinach leaves, but do try to get baby spinach. Not only is it tender, but it’s not as strong in flavour as normal spinach. Regular spinach may over-power the dish and you won’t achieve that wonderful taste that a good callaloo will have. I must also mention that crab meat or imitation crab will not give it the true unique savoriness as would actual crab in the shell.

Start by placing a deep pot on a medium heat and pour the 2 cans of coconut milk into it, then using one of the cans, add 2 cans of water as well (so you have 4 cans of liquid in the pot). As it comes to a boil, wash the spinach leaves and start adding to the pot. If it’s fresh harvested spinach, you may have to rinse a few times as they can have a lot of dirt/sand between the leaves.

It will seem that all the spinach will not fit in the pot at the start, but as it wilts in the hot liquid you’ll have tons of room. The next step is to wash and trim the ochro (okra) by removing the stems and discarding. Then slice each one into 1 inch pieces (see pic below). Add the sliced onions, garlic, ochro and hot pepper. Leave the hot pepper whole at this point. You can also add the salt, thyme and blackpepper to the mixture.

Cover the pot, bring the heat down low to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 1 hour or until everything is tender and starts to melt together. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes or so and check to ensure that it’s not sticking at the bottom of the pot. This will be an indication that your heat is too high.

Now that it’s been cooking for 1 hr, it’s time to add the crab to the pot. I usually season it a bit first with some green seasoning and allow it to marinate for about 15 minutes before adding it to the pot with the callaloo. After you’ve added the seasoned crab (seasoning is optional) allow the callaloo to cook for another 15 minutes.

The final step is to break everything down. Luckily enough I have a swizzle stick (wooden one) that someone from the islands sent for me a few years back. If you don’t have one you can use either a whisk or one of those electric puree sticks. If you are using an electric one, I suggest you pulse a few times and not use a continuous action or it will make the callaloo very foamy and it can harm the finished product.

If you’re using a whisk, simply whisk until everything is broken down into a soup like consistency. Before you whisk you can remove the pepper (remember I mentioned to put it in whole) if you’re worried about the heat content.

The very final step is to add the GoldenRay butter, stir it around and turn off the heat. Enjoy!

Side Note:There are many variations of cooking this classic Trinbagonian dish, but I assure you this is a great start that you can customize as you get better at preparing it.

* From the recipe above you should have enough left over to freeze and enjoy at a later time. Just pour into a freezer style bowl and it usually last a couple months in the freezer. To thaw, all you have to do is empty the contents of the bowl into a pot with a couple tablespoons of water on very low heat and allow to melt. Or stick in the microwave.