Complete your plate with Caribbean sides like fried plantains, roasted breadfruit, rice & peas, and ground provision. These recipes make every meal feel like a feast.
Here’s yet another tropical fruit begging to made into a chow as we’ve done with pineapple, mango, Pommecythere and oranges. Essentially a quick sort of spicy pickle that as kids and even adults, we snack on. In the case of adults, it’s usually when we’re enjoying some ‘beverages’.
You’ll Need…
1 lb lychee (peeled) 1/3 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 lemon (juice) 1 large clove garlic (crushed) 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes (Chinese) 1 large leaf Chadon Beni (culantro) – chopped 1 tablespoon chives (chopped finely)
Notes! Please follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements.
Wash the Lychees, peel and wash/drain again. Then into a large bowl.
Add all of the ingredients and mix well to combine.
If you cannot source the Chadon Beni (culantro), you may add 2 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro (coriander). Should you have a lime instead of a lemon, that will also work. And if you don’t have access to that fine Chinese pepper flakes, you may use finely chopped Scotch Bonnet or any spicy pepper you like and in the amount you can tolerate.
You may enjoy it immediately after mixing, but may I recommend that you place it in the fridge for 30 minutes for the lychee to absorb the flavors.
Over the years I’ve shared several Chow (spicy pickled fruit) recipes with you and yes we have done the Ultimate Pineapple Chow and the Applewood Smoked Pineapple Chow(which was copied wholesale by a major food publication without a hint of credit), we’ve never explored how one ingredient can have such a drastic influence on things.
You’ll Need…
1 large pineapple (sliced with core) 3 tablespoon chopped shado beni(culantro) 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 lemons (juice) 2 limes (juice) 2 clementines (juice) 8-12 Sweet/Salted Prunes (dry preserved) 2 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced) 8 cloves garlic (fine minced or crushed) 1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin) 1 cup water
Notes! Please follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. This is meant to be SPICY, so use as many HOT peppers as you can handle. I used Scotch Bonnets, but Scorpions, Habanero, Fatali.. basically any hot pepper you like or can source can be used. That said, tailor the heat to your own tolerance. While I posted this in the Gluten Free Recipe section, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Wear GLOVES!
In the video I explained that in most instances when I use pineapple, I never include the core and why you should in this recipe. Peel and wash the pineapple, then cut into wedges, then into slices about 1/2 cm thick.
Add the pineapple slices to a large bowl, followed by the salt, garlic, Scotch Bonnet, thinly sliced red onion (yes, you want to add onion.. trust me), chopped Shado Beni (Chadon Beni or Culantro and should you not be able to source this, add cilantro). lemon and lime juice.
Add all of the other ingredients and get ready to mix.
The Salted Prunes will not only be salty, but there will also be a slight sweetness from it.
The key now is to allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes to one hour in the fridge. As explained in the video, were we in the Caribbean, we’d place the bowl or whatever container you have it in, in the direct sun for 20 minutes or so. The reason I recommend allowing it to marinate, is to allow the pineapple to suck in the juices and for the salted prunes (which are dry) to rehydrate and release its flavors.
Do not adjust the salt until it’s done marinating. If the pineapple you use was tart, you may need to add a bit more salt. This is enjoyed as a snack, especially with adult beverages. This will last over a week in the fridge.
The perfect combination of sweet and savory with the merger of ripe plantain and salted fish, as we do in the Caribbean. As explained in the video below I always have leftover plantain since I’m the only one in this home who eats it. Frankly, I question if these children are mine every time they refuse my offer for fried or boiled plantain.
Notes! Please watch the video below as much more is explained there, especially why I didn’t use any salt and other ingredients you may add to this dish. If doing this gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements.
In doing this dish please consider that I had leftover boiled plantain for the night before dinner. However you may simply trim off the ends of ripe plantain, cut into 2-3 inch pieces and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, cool and remove the skin. Please boil with the skin on, so it holds its shape, especially if they are over-ripe.
Cut the plantain into bite sized pieces and set aside. Then heat the oil (you may use any oil you prefer and butter is also an option) in a saucepan on medium flame.
Unfortunately I couldn’t locate the full assortment of pictures I took, so this post will be lacking of the step by step images.
Once the oil is hot, add the salted fish (use any prepared salted fish you like) and stir well. Turn the heat down to medium/low and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the onion, thyme (leaves), garlic and pimento pepper. Should you want the dish spicy, add any hot pepper you like and in the amount you can handle.
For the salted fish, you will want to make sure you remove most of the salt, rehydrate it and remove any of the tiny bones it can sometimes have. Basically I used boned (bones removed), which I poured boiling water on, allowed it to soak until the water was cool and squeezed out that water. Then shred it into smaller pieces.
After about 4 minutes, add the cut plantain pieces into the pan and stir well to coat with the flavors of the other ingredients. Here’s where you’d give it a taste and adjust the salt should you want.
You have 2 options here. Cook the plantain until it’s heated through, or crank up the heat to medium high and cook until you get caramelized edges. This will bring out the natural sweetness of the plantain even further.
Over the years I’ve shared many traditional (mango, cucumber, pineapple and Pommecythere), along with nontraditional type Chow recipes with you. Including ones made with Cherries, Grapes, and Strawberries. Surprisingly I’ve never shared my Peach Chow with you. Until today!
You’ll Need…
5 Peaches (firm) 3-5 cloves garlic 3 leaves Shado Beni (aka chando Beni or culantro) 1 scotch bonnet pepper 1 fatali pepper 2 lemons (juice) 1 lime (juice) 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 small red onion (sliced thin) * water
Note! Please watch the video below to see how easy it was to cut the peaches into wedges and why using firm peaches which are air-dried first, gives you best results. The type of hot pepper you use is up to you. Chow is supposed to be spicy, but you’re free to tailor this to your own liking and heat tolerance. Reminder – wash you hands with soap and water after handling hot peppers.
Give the peaches a rinse then remove the seeds (stone, pit) and cut into segments. At this point I like for the pieces to air dry for about 30 minutes.
Try you best to get firm peaches as the more ripe (softer ones) will have the tendency to go to mush easily.
Add the salt, garlic and hot pepper you decide on using to your mortar and crush until smooth. To control the heat a bit you may adjust the amount of pepper you use and should you want… remove and discard the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. Be mindful that the smashing action may cause it to splatter and get to your eyes.
I like squeezing the citrus juices directly into this mixture so I can somewhat rinse the mortar out with it and collect all that spicy garlic goodness.
In a large bowl with the peach wedges, add the thinly sliced red onion and top with the chopped Shado beni. Then pour the spicy juice directly over it all.
Since we air-dried the peaches for a bit, you’ll find that the chow base (juices) will soak in and get deeper into the peach and not just sit on the surface. Give it a good mix and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge before you jump in to enjoy. Yea, taste for salt and adjust.
Providing you used firm peaches, it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. Feel free to add a bit of water should you want more of the sauce. Yes, as a lil fella on the islands we enjoyed that juice as much as the actual fruit we used.
Should you not be able to source the shado beni, cilantro (aka coriander) is an excellent replacement.
Mother In Law? If you’re not from Trinidad and Tobago or the other parts of the Caribbean you may not know what this dish is and why it’s called Mother In Law. I strongly believe the name stems from it being a VERY Hot n Spicy condiment.. the sort of trait we generally associate with one’s Mother In Law. But that would be a guess. Should you know a different explanation, please share in the comment section below. I know I said that the Roasted Pepper Choka was the ultimate condiment (side) to curry dishes, however this Carilie Mother In Law could also lay claim to that title.
You’ll Need…
2 Carilie 2 limes (juice) 2 medium carrots 5-8 chives 1 medium red onion 6 cloves garlic 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 scotch bonnet pepper 2 fatali peppers 1 pimento pepper (aka seasoning pepper) 6-10 leaves shado beni 1/2 cup white vinegar
Notes. With the Carilie (bitter melon) I explained in the video below that I had 1 which was fully mature (which was used in the food processor) and the other wasn’t fully mature (different flavor), which was sliced thinly. Ultimately the goal was to not only have different flavors from the Carilie, but textures as well. If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten fre dieary requirements.
Carilie – Momordica charantia commonly called bitter melon, goya, bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash and balsam pear.
Give everything a rinse with cool water. Then rough-chop the onion, peppers ( I used Scotch Bonnet, Fatali and Pimento Peppers… use any HOT peppers you have available), carrots and chives. Please note that as explained in the video below, the Pimento pepper is not hot, but the flavor is simply amazing. If you can source it at you local West Indian market, may I recommend getting a couple.
With the mature Carilie, I cut it down the center, removed the inner seeds area with a spoon and gave it a rough chop as well. To make it easier work for my food processor. You may use a blender or hand-chop everything as it was traditionally done back in the day.
Place the onion, garlic, salt, peppers, carrots, shado beni (chadon beni) and chives into the food processor. I used a red onion as it’s much milder in flavor than the everyday onion, plus the red color makes it more attractive looking at the end.
Squeeze in the juice of the limes.
May I recommend that you pulse and not have it on a continuous speed or you may end up with a puree. This is supposed to have a bit of texture to it. Should you want to add more hot peppers do so, and remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after handling hot peppers.
With the other (non-mature) carilie, cut it into 3-4 parts, then remove the core (see the video below), then slice as thinly as you can.
Mix everything together and add the white vinegar.
If you wanted to add another flavor to things (I prefer it like this) add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground roasted geera (cumin). Store in a container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Adjust the salt if you find that it’s overly tart. Another excellent side to curry dishes.
Took a drive down into Buffalo NY a few weeks back and came across these Cherry Plums at the Trader Joes, intrigued… so a package came home with us. Unfortunately they were a bit to tart for my liking and the texture wasn’t what I expected. I hoped they would have been a bit firmer and not as soft. Childhood Chris kicked in and a chow was born.
You’ll Need…
1 package cherry plums 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 lemon (juice) 2 cloves garlic (crushed) Scotch Bonnet pepper (see notes below) thinly sliced 3 leaves shado beni(culantro) finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoon water
Notes! I used an entire Scotch Bonnet pepper including the seeds and white membrane around the seeds. Use as much hot pepper as you can handle and the variety you can access or prefer. Should you not have lemon juice, lime will work as well. Should you not be able to source Shado Beni (chadon beni , culantro), cilantro (coriander) will work – about 1 tablespoon chopped. WARNING! Wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after handing such hot peppers as Scotch Bonnet.
Give the Cherry Plums (everyday North American Plums will work.. should I be able to source Caribbean type plums in the future, I’ll be sure to share that recipe) a wash, then (watch the video below) slice though the plums, hitting on the seeds inside as a guide. These cuts will allow for the spicy sauce to work it’s way inside.
Using a paring knife worked best for me.
Basically all you have to do now is place all the ingredients into a large bowl or jar and mix well. Remember to make it as spicy as you can handle. Yes, Habanero and Bird’s Eye peppers are great in this as well.
If there were stems on the cherry Plums, remove them at the start please.
Allow it to marinate or soak after you give it a good mix for about 30 minutes in the fridge before you dig in.
If you wanted to add some grapes (cut in half) or slices of apple in the mix, that would be delightful. Chow is meant to be spicy and the sort of spicy, herbal, citrus juice or marinade is prized to sip on at the end.
NO! I didn’t get a hint of Cherry in these Plums, however the Chow was excellent.
While not my choice for a side to Pealu as with many people, I do enjoy coleslaw during BBQ season, especially with spicy Jerk Chicken or Pork. Crunchy, tangy with a slight sweetness, and the creamy overall consistency is perfect to tame down or add balance to the heat from fiery dishes.
You’ll Need…
1/2 medium cabbage (shredded) 1 large carrot (grated) 1/2 medium red onion (sliced thin) 1 medium apple (julienne) 2 stalks celery (grated) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup Miracle Whip 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar
Note! Please watch the video below to follow along and to understand why I used Miracle Whip instead of traditional mayo.
I like to thinly slice the cabbage but you can chop to any size/thickness you like. Now add the salt to the cabbage and mix well. Allow the salt to sit with cabbage for about 15-20 minutes before continuing. This allows the salt to pull out some moisture from the cabbage (you can squeeze dry) and in so doing, remove any bitter taste some cabbage tend to have and I also find that it makes for a more crunchy cabbage. Prep the other ingredients during this time. I did add 1/2 lemon (juice) on the apple to prevent it from going discolored.
For the dressing… combine the black pepper, Miracle Whip, mustards, sugar and vinegar. If you have celery seeds or salt, a tiny bit will add a lovely flavor to the dressing. Mix it really well.
Combine everything with a good mixing and you’re done. Yea it’s that simple.
Chill before serving. This coleslaw can be made a day or two in advance, but do give it a good mix before serving as the dressing may settle while in the fridge.
With an abundance of plump Cherry Tomatoes in our garden and the thousands of requests I get for more recipes in the #MeatFreeMonday series on YouTube, I thought I’d share (while not “Caribbean”) a simple and delicious salad with you all.
You’ll Need…
1- 1 1/2 lbs cherry tomatoes (sliced in 1/2) 1/2 large red onion (sliced thinly) 2 tablespoon chives (chopped) 1 clove garlic (crushed) 3 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt (divided) 3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided) 2 tablespoon honey 2 sprigs thyme (leaves) 1/2 orange (juice) 1 cup bocconcini cheese (pearls)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. If doing this recipe vegan, use what you normally use to replace cheese. Feel free to add nuts and dried fruits to the salad if you wish.
Wash and prep the ingredients. Slice the tomatoes in half, trim off the leaves of the thyme, slice the red onion VERY thin, crush the garlic and give the chives a fine chop.
The tomatoes, chives and garlic were from my garden.
Now it’s time to make the dressing. In a bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic, 1/2 of the black pepper, 1/2 of the salt, garlic, thyme leaves, honey and orange juice and whisk until combined.
It’s time to assemble things. Add the chopped tomatoes to your salad bowl and top with the sliced onion, then sprinkle on the remaining salt and black pepper.
Now add the cheese (feel free to add your fav).
Pour on the salad dressing and top with the chives. Give it a good mix and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes for the flavors to marinate and come together (mix again before serving). This will also allow the cheese to soak in some of the dressing.
Fresh chopped basil (I’m not a fan, so while I do have it in my garden, I sparingly use it) and diced cucumber is a great addition to this salad.
While one may say this is not a “Caribbean” salad, I have to question why not? Have you ever had sun ripened tomatoes or watermelon straight from the farmer’s field? I have and it was when I was a lil fella on the islands and that farm was our family kitchen garden in Trinidad and Tobago. The feta and balsamic are definitely not “Caribbean” but you can now find those ingredients at many of the bigger grocery stores across the Caribbean island chain.
You’ll Need…
2-3 lbs heirloom tomatoes 1/2 small watermelon 8-12 mint leaves 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup feta cheese 3-4 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Heirlooms areseed varieties that are at least 50 years old, and you can save these seeds and plant them year after year. Heirlooms are never hybrids or GMOs. … GMOs are Genetically Modified seeds.
Every Spring I try my best to get Heirloom tomato plants for my garden as I find them to be the most sweet, juicy and interesting (no two are the same shape or color) tomatoes one can eat. While I’d love to say these tomatoes were from my back yard, I must confess that they were from a local grocery store.
Wash and chop the tomatoes (remove the core + stems and discard) into different shapes/slices to give the salad some texture and make it more eye-appealing. Please try to use heirloom tomatoes as the flavor and texture is unlike the greenhouse (nor GMO) stuff you get in the supermarket. Place it in a large bowl.
Cube the watermelon (remove any seeds if you don’t have the seedless variety). Then add it to the bowl, along with the Feta and Mint leaves (If the mint leaves are large, give them a quick chop).
Sprinkle the salt (especially over the tomato pieces) and half of the black pepper over everything.. you’ll get better flavor with fresh cracked black pepper IMHO. You can add some Scotch Bonnet Pepper Flakes if you want a KICK to the finished salad.
Note. watch the serving tip in the video below.
Make the dressing by whisking the olive oil, balsamic, honey and remaining black pepper together.
When you’re ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing (whisked) over the top and gently mix. I used my hands as I found it to be most effective this way.
Add more Feta or any cheese you like, should you like a lot of cheese in your salad. And you can always substitute Basil for the Mint if mint is not your fav herb.
After sharing this video on YouTube, the comments were very interesting. From “Why?”, to “Only a man would do this”, and “brilliant on it’s own or on the side of grilled salmon”. Chow is basically a quick spicy pickle we make in the Caribbean. Usually made with tart fruit (like green mango or Pommecythere aka golden apple ) and enjoyed as a snack by both kids and adults alike. Except adults tend to enjoy it better when there’s beer and cocktails involved. Note! typically the cucumber is cut into slices or wedges when this chow is done the traditional way.
You’ll Need…
2 Medium English Cucumbers (any cucumber will work) 1 tablespoon sea salt (divided) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 Wiri Wiri Peppers (any spicy pepper will work) 3-4 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon Shado Beni (chopped) * Cilantro will work too 2 shallots (or a small red onion – sliced thin) 1 lemon (juice) 1 tablespoon Korean pepper paste (Gochujang)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. If you cannot source Wiri Wiri (coffee) Peppers, any spicy pepper will work.
Wash the cucumbers, then smash then using a rolling pin or as in my case, my wooden pestle. It will get messy! Then give the pieces a rough chop. Finally, add the pieces to a bowl and toss them with 1/2 the salt mentioned above.
The salt will do two things for us. It will help to pull out some of the water or tart juice from the cucumbers and two, in doing so allow the cucumbers to absorb the flavors we’ll add later.
As this sit in the salt, place the remaining salt, garlic and Wiri Wiri peppers in your mortar and crush to a paste. After 30 minutes, drain the cucumber to get rid of the liquid which will naturally sprout.
Now top the drained cucumber with that crushed pepper/garlic paste.
Basically all you have to do after is add all the other ingredients mentioned and give it a good toss.
The Korean pepper paste (Gochujang) is NOT traditional to this recipe (nor the shallots), but ever since our trip to Seoul a few years back I just enjoy adding it to this type of chow. There’s a deep fermented (almost smoky too) flavor it adds to the finished chow, that takes it to different level (IMHO).
I like placing it in a container with a lid and allow it to chill in the fridge before I tuck in. As a snack or a spicy salad, there’s no denying that it’s refreshing and an excellent way to make use of cucumbers.
As a lil fella growing up on the islands I recall it was a sort of expectation to see people ‘sunning’ out the freshly prepared bottles of traditional pepper sauce, when peppers were abundant (usually during dry season). Recycled bottles (which once housed peanut butter, jam or mayonnaise) packed with pureed, chunky or a combo of both. Vibrant red, orange, yellow and green, depending on the variety of pepper they used and the type of “peppersauce” they made. According to the elders, that Caribbean sun helped to cure the sauce and add even more wicked flavors.
You’ll Need…
25-35 hot peppers 20-30 bird pepper 1 tablespoon salt 2-3 cups white vinegar 1/2 large bitter melon 12-18 cloves garlic (smashed) 1 large carrot (or 10 tiny ones) 6 limes (divided) 11 lemons (divided)
IMPORTANT! Wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after handling such hot peppers with soap and water.
Wash everything and allow them to dry, then remove the stems off the peppers.
Cut the bitter melon in half (lenght) and using a tablespoon, scrape out the seeds and area around the seeds and discard. Slice thin.
Cut the limes in 1/4 (lenght-wise), then 1/2 cm slices. Do the same for four the lemons. TIP.. remove the center core of the lemons to make them more tender later on. (please watch the video below to follow along)
I used a variety of extremely hot peppers as I had an abundance in my garden. Feel free to use what you can source (watch the video below to see what I used). Slice each pepper thin and include the seeds for more heat. I left the bird peppers whole (stems removed).
Place the lime and lemon pieces in a deep pot and pour in the vinegar. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a simmer and cook on that simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the stove after 15 minutes (by cooking the lime and lemon pieces first in that vinegar will help to break down the skin and release a ton of that citrus flavor). While still warm, add the thinly sliced peppers, followed by all of the other ingredients (not the remaining lime nor lemons).
Stir well. I used baby carrots as that’s all I had on hand, but you can definitely slice up a large carrot. Allow this to fully cool.
Juice the remaining limes and lemon. (set aside)
It’s now time to place the pepper mixture into your clean glass containers. I used tongs, then I poured in the vinegar juice. I then strained in the freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice.
By adding the juice now it’s brings out that fresh citrus flavor and brightens the finished pepper-sauce.
Now tuck everything down with a wooden spoon. If you find that your peppers are not covered in liquid, add a bit more white vinegar and mix well. Uncovered peppers may tend to ferment and go bad quickly.
While you’ll be tempted to get into this asap, give it a week to fully ‘cure” before sampling. Store in the fridge for longer shelf life (about 6 months). Admittedly I was tempted to do as my ancestors did and place it in the sun, but it’s wasn’t a Caribbean sun so instead I hid mine in a cool dark corner in my kitchen. I find that when peppersauce goes in the fridge its heat level drops! It’s been there for about 9 months now. The sauce is excellent in soups and on the side of my beloved Pelau!
Here’s a dish my mom would make the odd Sunday when Callaloo wasn’t on the menu, as part of the Grand Caribbean Sunday Lunch. Paired with stewed , grilled or oven roasted meats, macaroni pie, boiled sweet potato and plantain and there was always a salad of some sort on the side. Even if it was just watercress harvested from the village streams that morning or sliced cucumbers from our kitchen garden at the back of the house.
You’ll Need…
2 cups dried red kidney beans 8-9 cups water 4-6 cloves garlic (smashed) 5 sprigs thyme 1 wiri wiri pepper (any spicy pepper will work) 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 medium onion (diced) 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 heaping tablespoon golden brown sugar 1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning 1 cup diced carrots 2 cups diced pumpkin 1 stalk celery (diced) 2 scallions (chopped) 1 tablespoon dehydrated Pimento peppers (optional) 2 tablespoon tomato puree paste 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup (pure) 1 medium tomato (diced) 2-3 tablespoon coconut cream 1 teaspoon black pepper divided 1 heaping tablespoon vegetable stock powder 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoon chopped shado beni(culantro)
Note: I used a Wiri Wiri pepper to give these beans a bit of a kick, Scotch Bonnet, Habanero or any of your fav spicy pepper will work, in amounts you can tolerate. Or feel free to leave it out if spicy is not your thing.
In a deep pot, soak the washed red beans in cool water for about 2 hours. Then place the pot on a medium flame to bring to a boil. As the water comes to temperature, add garlic, thyme, onion and one of the wiri wiri pepper. Give it a stir, then add the salt and black pepper. I started with about 7 cups of water but I did end up adding another 2 cups or so as they simmered.
As the beans cook, it’s a great time to prep the other ingredients.
As it comes to a boil, turn it down to as low and it can go and allow it to simmer until the beans are tender.
One hour and fifteen minutes later it’s time to take the pot off the burner as the beans will be tender. Set this aside and get another wide heavy pot on a medium/high flame.
Add the oil followed by the sugar. You would have seen me do this when I ‘brown stew’. Watch the video below if this becomes confusing. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then deep amber in color. Here is where (be VERY careful) you’ll add the cooked beans to the pot. BE VERY CAREFUL as you’re adding liquid to caramelized sugar and it can jump back at you. If the sugar goes BLACK.. STOP. Allow the pot to cool, wash, dry and start back.
Vent you kitchen as it can become a bit smoky. After all the beans (and liquid) is added, it’s time to add the other ingredients (except the shado beni).
Couple noteworthy points, mom would never add Maple Syrup, Vegetable Stock powder nor Tomato Paste (she would add a tablespoon of tomato ketchup). These additions are just my way of adding my own personality to the dish.
Bring it up to a boil and allow it to cook for a further 30 minutes. Test to make sure everything is tender and the salt is to your liking. While I didn’t add a lot of salt, I knew the vegetable stock I used had a sodium element to it. Adjust accordingly.
If it’s too runny, use your spoon to crush the pumpkin and some of the beans. BUT do keep in mind that this will THICKEN as it cools down. Leftovers can be put into freezer containers or vacuum sealed and kept in the freezer for months. Thaw, add a tiny bit of water and reheat on the stove. If you used a vacuum sealed bag, place in boiling water.
Top with the chopped Shado Beni as you turn off the stove and stir.
