Breakfast
How to Make Eddoes Choka
Eddoes Choka is a simple, flavour-packed Caribbean dish made with boiled eddoes, fresh garlic, hot pepper, onion, and a little oil to bring everything together. Much like Aloo Choka, which is made with potatoes, this traditional-style dish is easy to prepare and delivers wonderful flavour with just a handful of ingredients. If you enjoy the bold combination of garlic, onion, and pepper, this Eddoes Choka recipe is one to add to your collection.
Eddoes were not the first thing Mommy would make when they were plentiful in our kitchen garden during the dry season. Most found their way into the different soups and stews she prepared, while others were boiled alongside yam, cassava, dasheen, and green fig, meaning green cooking bananas. We would enjoy them with Classic Caribbean Stewed Saltfish or Saltfish Buljol.
For this recipe, I keep things simple while adding a few ingredients I enjoy for their extra flavour and fragrance. The garlic and habanero pepper provide that familiar punch, while the onion is gently mellowed by the hot oil poured over everything during the chunkay, or tempering, process. Listen for that satisfying sizzle and take in the wonderful aroma as the hot oil hits the onion, cilantro, and pimento peppers.
I usually serve Eddoes Choka warm with hot Sada Roti. It is also a wonderful option for anyone following a vegan, vegetarian, or Ital diet, as this recipe is entirely plant-based.
Shopping Made Easy
- You can usually find eddoes in Caribbean, West Indian, and other international grocery stores, often alongside dasheen, cassava, and other root vegetables.
- Choose firm eddoes without obvious soft spots, deep cuts, or signs of spoilage.
- Fresh garlic, onions, cilantro, and olive oil are readily available at most standard grocery stores.
- Habanero peppers are sold in many supermarkets, but you can also check Caribbean markets for fresh supplies.
- Pimento peppers are optional, so do not worry if you cannot find them locally.
- If you have sensitive skin, consider wearing gloves when peeling eddoes, as some varieties may cause skin irritation.
Cooking Notes from the Kitchen
- Eddoes can be quite starchy, which is part of what gives this dish its comforting texture. As you crush them in the mortar, scrape down the sides as needed to keep the mixture manageable.
- The eddoes should be tender enough to crush easily, but cooking times can vary depending on their size and freshness.
- Be mindful when handling habanero peppers, particularly when crushing them with garlic. Avoid touching your eyes, and wash your hands and utensils thoroughly after handling hot peppers.
- Pimento peppers and cilantro are additions I enjoy for their fragrance and flavour. They are not traditional ingredients in the original version of Eddoes Choka as my ancestors would have prepared it.
- The chunkay is one of the most enjoyable parts of making this dish. When the hot oil meets the sliced onion, cilantro, and pimento peppers, it releases a beautiful, savoury aroma that fills the kitchen. Pour carefully, as hot oil can splatter.
- Avoid pouring the hot oil directly over the habanero and garlic paste if you are sensitive to the fumes. The vapour from hot oil hitting hot pepper can be quite sharp and irritating.
- Taste before serving and adjust the salt to your liking. Eddoes have a naturally mild flavour, so proper seasoning makes a noticeable difference.
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Eddoes Choka
This easy Eddoes Choka recipe combines tender boiled eddoes with crushed garlic, habanero pepper, onion, and fragrant herbs for a comforting Caribbean side dish. Finished with hot oil in the traditional chunkay style, it is delicious served warm with Sada Roti.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs eddoes peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- water for boiling eddoes
- 5-8 cloves garlic
- 1 small habanero pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 2 pimento peppers optional, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Peel the eddoes, removing the outer skin with a paring knife as shown in the video below. Rinse them, then place them in a pot and cover with water. Add half of the salt and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, as I explained in the video. Drain and set aside.
- Important: Some eddoes may irritate your skin when peeling. You can rub your hands with a protective coating of vegetable oil or wear gloves if you have sensitive skin.
- Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, habanero pepper, and the remaining salt, or another hot pepper of your choice, into a paste. Use an amount of pepper you can comfortably tolerate. Remove the mixture from the mortar and set aside.
- Add the cooked eddoes to the mortar and crush them into a somewhat smooth paste. You may need to keep scraping down the sides of the mortar, as the starchy eddoes can become sticky.
- Transfer the crushed eddoes to a bowl and top with the garlic and habanero mixture.
- Add the cilantro and the thinly sliced pimento peppers, if you can source them. The pimento peppers contribute a fragrant, sweet pepper aroma that complements the heat of the habanero. These two ingredients are not traditionally found in the original Eddoes Choka my ancestors would have made, but I enjoy the extra flavour they bring.
- Top with the thinly sliced onion, spreading the slices apart so the hot oil can reach them during the chunkay, or tempering, process.
- Heat the olive oil, or another oil of your choice, until smoking. Carefully pour it over the ingredients, paying particular attention to the onion to gently take away some of its rawness.
- During the chunkay process, listen for the satisfying sizzle as the hot oil hits the onion, pimento peppers, and cilantro. The aroma that rises from the bowl is wonderful, with savoury onion and fragrant herbs mingling with the garlic and pepper. However, if you pour the hot oil directly onto the habanero paste, the fumes may choke you, so take care.
- Stir well to combine everything, adjust the salt to your liking, and enjoy warm with hot Sada Roti.
- Have you had or made Eddoes Choka before? Did you make it spicy and loaded with garlic, as I did? Leave a comment below, and if you have any questions about this Eddoes Choka, drop me a line in The Ajoupa, which is our FREE Members-ONLY Community.
Video
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Eddoes Choka? Eddoes Choka is a Caribbean (mainly Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana) dish made by boiling and crushing eddoes (Eddoes are small, starchy tropical root vegetables related to taro (Colocasia esculenta or Colocasia antiquorum)- they feature a rough, hairy brown skin, creamy-to-white internal flesh, and a mild, earthy, and nutty flavor profile), then seasoning them with ingredients such as garlic, hot pepper, onion, and oil. This version uses the chunkay technique to bring the flavours together and is served warm, often with Sada Roti. Can I make Eddoes Choka without habanero pepper? Yes. You can omit the habanero or replace it with another hot pepper you prefer. If you want the flavour of garlic and onion without much heat, use less pepper or leave it out entirely. Can I use pimento peppers and cilantro in traditional Eddoes Choka? You can certainly include them, as I do in this recipe. However, they are optional additions rather than ingredients traditionally found in the original version my ancestors would have made. They add extra fragrance and a fresh, herbaceous flavour. Why do you pour hot oil over the onion when making Eddoes Choka? The hot oil helps soften the sharp, raw flavour of the onion while releasing the aromas of the onion, cilantro, and pimento peppers. This finishing technique, known as chunkay or tempering, helps distribute the flavours throughout the crushed eddoes. What should I serve with Eddoes Choka? Hot Sada Roti is a wonderful accompaniment. You can also serve Eddoes Choka as part of a Caribbean meal alongside other dishes, depending on your preferences and dietary needs. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
