Vegetarian Archives - Page 23 of 26

A Spicy Pineapple Salad Inspired by Mangoes.

May 27, 2025January 21, 201016 Comments

One of the things you’d look forward to as a child on the islands is mango season. This is the time of the year when mangoes are mature and starts to ripe on the trees. If you had patience you’d wait for a strong gust of wind to blow the ripe mangoes to the ground or if patience was not your strong suit you’d get a long stick or bamboo rod and gently tap on them so they’d fall. If all failed, you could always get a small rock or stick and toss it at the mangoes. One way or the other you were going to enjoy some of those juicy ripe mangoes.

This was also the season for making mango chow. Slices of green (but half-ripe) mangoes with crushed (or sliced) hot peppers, garlic, shado beni, salt and fresh lime juice. When we moved to Canada sourcing mangoes was not an easy chore, so we had to find another fruit to make this fiery treat (green apples also works great). Not only could we not get mangoes, the other key ingredient which is shado beni was not easy to find either.

So my aunt who I lived with at the time suggested we use pineapple (something she had enjoyed on the islands on one of her trips back), thus started this pineapple salad or chow. And since we couldn’t get fresh shado beni, we started using cilantro. To Trinbagonians this will be considered a form of “chow”, but to others it’ll be a spicy pineapple salad.

This is so easy and full of wonderful flavour, you’ll wonder why you haven’t had it yet.

You’ll need…

1 ripe pineapple (cubed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic sliced thin
juice of 1 lime or lemon
3 tablespoon cilantro
1 small red onion sliced (optional)
1/2 habanero pepper sliced thin (scotch bonnet or any pepper with some heat)

* if you can get shado beni, be sure to use that instead of the cilantro for a true “chow” taste. However if you want to enjoy it as a mild salad, use the cilantro.

* In most grocery stores you can get the fresh pineapple already peeled and cored (usually packed in a plastic container). If you can’t, I’ve created a short video below showing how it’s done. If all fails I guess you can use a can of pineapple chunks. However I can’t promise that the results would be the same as using fresh pineapple.

Basically all you’re doing in combining all the ingredients is a large bowl, mix thoroughly and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

I told you it was simple! Give it a try, it’s a great way to spice things up a bit with some pineapple. Here’s the short video showing how to peel and remove the core from a ripe pineapple.

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A simple recipe for fry aloo (potato).

March 5, 2012December 21, 200918 Comments

One of the best things about growing up in a multi-racial country is the amount of different dishes you’re exposed to. Not just that we share in everyone’s culture (like around religious holidays etc) we also experiment with each others food. This resulted in dishes that are uniquely Trinbagonian as we’ve added our own touch (even KFC). Take fry aloo for instance. I’ve come across many “Indian” food blogs where the name of the dish is the same but the preparation and ingredients somewhat differs.

Even locally I seen recipes differ a bit, with people adding their own signature touch to enhance the final product. Personally I love me some fry aloo, but with left over corned beef (still have to post that recipe for you) added at the end.

This is the recipe for the traditional “Trini” way of making fry aloo and it just happens to be the way our daughters like it.

You’ll Need…
5 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold)
1/2 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-6 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)

Start by peeling the potatoes, then wash and slice (not too thick – cut down the center and then slice about 1/8 to 1/4 inch). Also peel and crush the garlic, slice the onion and pepper .. set aside.

In a heavy pot, add the oil and allow to heat on medium to high heat. As the oil heats up add the onion, garlic and pepper and allow to cook for a couple minutes. We’re trying to infuse the flavours into the oil before we add the sliced potato. As the onions start going brown, drain (if you had it sitting in water as I did) the sliced potato and start adding it to the pot.

This can be a very greasy dish, so if you can use oil that’s not full of saturated fats and cholesterol, it would be best. Also note that depending on the potato you use, you may be required to add a bit more oil as it cooks.

After you’ve added the potato, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow this to cook for about 20 minutes and try to stir every 5 minutes or so. You will notice a couple things as it cooks.. It will start to stick to the bottom of the pot (that’s normal) and it will start going golden brown. When stirring, try to scrape off any bits that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you find that it’s to the point where it’s burning, turn down the heat to low. As mentioned cook covered for 20 minutes.

After it’s been cooking for the 20 minutes, it will start to break apart and it will change in colour. The final step is to remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Check to make sure the potato is fully cooked (should be soft) and double check for salt.

So simple, yet very tasty. The best way to enjoy this fry aloo is with Sada Roti or with any type of flat bread or if all fails.. everyday sliced bread.

I’m sure many of you have a different way of preparing this dish and I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

Note: I mentioned that there’s the chance that you may need more oil. But I don’t think I mentioned how you can tell. If you find that midway through cooking it starts to stick to the bottom of the pot to the point where it’s burning and it’s overall dry.. add another tablespoon or two of oil.

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Make room for Sada Roti, Pita Bread.

May 28, 2025December 7, 200955 Comments

My early years in Canada saw me falling in love with pita, as it was the closest thing to sada roti that I could get. Hamilton in those days had 1 or 2 Caribbean restaurants, but none of them served any type of roti. The same can be said today, except the two that I know that does have roti now, absolutely sucks! In many homes in Trinidad and Tobago Sada roti is consumed as cereal or toast and eggs would be in North America at breakfast time.

It’s a common misconception that Sada roti is difficult to make and people avoid trying. Today I’m here to prove that making roti is very simple and only takes about 30 minutes. You can even cheat and use a food processor to prepare the dough 🙂

You’ll Need..

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
dash of salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups water (see note below)

Note: This recipe is courtesy of my mom and she mentions that for some reason the flour we get in North America seems to need more water than the flour that’s available in the Caribbean when kneading. If you’re following the recipe and you’re based in the Caribbean, please take note to use a bit less water. I was also told that the cooked roti also remains much softer in the Caribbean than in North America.

In a fairly large bowl combine the flour and baking powder, then start adding the water as you knead the dough. Remember to dust your hand with some four to help prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. The goal is to create a large smooth dough ball. I didn’t add any salt, but I’m sure some recipes will call for salt. That is entirely up to you. Keep dusting your hand with flour as you work the dough. If you’re using a food processor, simply add all the ingredients and combine. Tip add 3/4 the water to start and add more if necessary so you won’t end up with a soggy dough.

It may take about 5 minutes to knead the dough, after which cover the bowl and allow the dough to “soak” (rest) for about 15 minutes, as my mom would say.

The next step is to divide the dough ball into 3 smaller (but even) balls, as the big one would be too big for the roti we’re making. These would be perfect for the size of roti we have planned.

The traditional way to cook roti is by using a tawa (see pic below), but if you don’t have one, no worries. You can achieve the same result using a big non-stick frying pan. Heat the tawa or pan on medium to high heat. If this is the first time you’re making roti or working with dough, I’d recommend that you get the first roti ready first before heating the tawa. This way if you run into any problems rolling out the dough, the tawa will not over heat.

Dust a clean surface on your counter top (must be dry), get one of the smaller dough balls then flatten a bit and work the dough with your fingers (as I’m sure you’ve seen pizza makers do) . Continue dusting with four to avoid sticking and start rolling with a rolling pin. Flip over, dust with flour and roll again. We’re trying to get a well rounded (don’t worry about shape at this point.. you’ll perfect it soon enough) roti shape. The diameter will be between 10-12 inches and about 1/4 inch thick (or less)

Gently pick it up using both hands and place t to cook on the heated tawa or pan. Allow it to cook a couple minutes on each side, by flipping it as it cooks (you may need to use a spatula to help flip it as it will be hot). You’ll notice 3 things as it cooks.. it will increase in thickness, it will start getting a bit brown and it will start developing air pockets. This will lead you to the final step. Swelling the roti.

There are 2 ways to swell the roti which I’ll share with you below. The traditional way and the easy way 🙂

The traditional way I’ve seen my mom “swell” the roti, is by shifting the tawa away from the burner so half the tawa is directly over the flame, then in a circular motion move the roti over the direct flame. So half the roti will be on the tawa itself and half will be moved over the flame. You’ll notice that the roti will create a huge air pocket. This is what we mean when we say “swell” the roti. There’s a more traditional term used for this process, but I don’t recall what it is at the moment. If while using this method and you notice that only a part of the roti swells, press gently on the roti and the air pocket will move throughout the entire thing. Be very careful not to burst any holes, as steam will escape and you risk getting burned.

Note: If you do decide to use the traditional way to “swell” the roti do remember to use an oven mitt to prevent burning your hands and fingers.

The EASY and fool-proof way to swell the roti. After you’ve cooked it on both sides for a couple minutes and it starts to go brown… little air pockets or bubbles will start forming. Remove it off the tawa or frying pan and place it in your microwave (use a tea towel / paper towel or it will sweat on the direct surface), set the microwave on high and cook for about 30 seconds. You’ll be amazed at how fast and perfect it will swell.

Let’s go through the steps again..

Knead flour > allow to rest for 15 minutes > make into 3 smaller dough balls > flatten and cook on tawa for a couple minutes on each side > then swell > enjoy! I told you it was simple!

You’re probably wondering why the big deal about “swelling” the roti. This is so that it becomes lighter and makes a great pocket for stuffing. Using a sharp knife, cut the roti into 4 pieces as you would slice a pizza and stuff as you would a pita sandwich or enjoy slices with your favourite “talkarie”.

TIP: Wrap in a towel or paper towel to store after cooking. The idea is to keep it sealed from direct air or it will go hard and crusty. You can store in the fridge in a zipper bag (wrapped in paper towels) for a couple days and reheat in the microwave. I’ve never tried freezing this type of roti, though I’ve frozen other type with great success.

Cooking dhal, I bet you didn’t know it was this easy!

May 28, 2025November 21, 200958 Comments

Growing up in Trinidad, dhal meant salted meats like pig tails or beef and either curry chicken or tomato choka on the side with rice. My mom would put pieces of salted pig tails or beef into the dhal as it slow cooked that gave it a very unique taste. However, traditional split peas dhal is vegetarian and does not have sort of meat in it. These days when I do make dhal it’s more of a soup, as it’s very filling… with pieces of bread soaked into it. TIP: I usually make a big pot when I cook this and put a couple portions in the freezer for those nights when I feel like eating something hearty. All you do is pop it out of the freezer container and heat it in a pot on very low heat (covered). In less than 10 minutes you’ll have dhal that’s good as if it was fresh made.

Note: It seems that the recipe for dhal varies by person, region and country, as everyone has their own take on this.

You’ll Need…

2 cups Split Peas (yellow)
4 cloves garlic
salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon Turmeric
7 cups of water
2-3 tablespoon oil
1/2 small onion sliced thin
1/4 hot pepper (optional) Habanero, scotch bonnet or whatever hot pepper you like
dash fresh ground black pepper

*TIP: Soak the dhal in water overnight or for a few hours before cooking to reduce the cooking time.

I not much of a prep person as I don’t usually plan my menu in advance, so it means my method take s a bit longer since I don’t pre-soak the split peas. I start by washing the split peas by pouring water into a bowl along with the split peas and massaging it a bt, between my fingers. I usually drain and rinse again. If you look at the pic below you’ll see all the grit like stuff that makes the water cloudy.

In the meantine bring the 7 cups of water to boil and prep the washed dhal for cooking. Drain the water you’ve rinsed the dhal with and put the hot pepper, slices of onions and 2 cloves of garlic (smash or pound it). As the water comes to a boil, pour in everything from the bowl and bring back to a boil. Then add the salt, black pepper and turmeric to the pot. Reduce to a very gentle simmer and place a lid on the pot (a bit ajar). Allow this to cook on very low for about 1.5 hrs or until the peas are tender and are melting away.

You may notice a bit of foamy stuff start to develop at the top of the pot (see image below) using your spoon, skim off and discard. Continue cooking on low.

After the peas are soft and start to melt or lose it’s shape, you now need to break them down to a thick soup like consistency. Using one of the following, whisk away.

After you’ve whisked the now cooked dhal, it’s time to “chunkay” (the process of adding heated oil infused with cooked garlic). In a small frying pan, put the oil and allow to heat, then add thin slices of the 2 remaining cloves of garlic. To get the true “chunkay” flavour, allow the garlic to go golden to dark brown. Then with caution, pour the infused oil on the cooked dhal (forgot to mention that you should have now turned off the heat under the cooked dhal) and stir to blend into the entire mixture.

Some tips…

1. When adding the heated oil to the pot with the dhal, stand a bit back to avoid any burns from splasing hot oil.

2. To cut back on cooking time, feel free to boil the dhal in a pressure cooker. It may take about 15 minutes or until the peas are tender and falling apart. Then chunkay as mentioned above.

3. If you started cooking on a large burner, feel free to move to a small burner where you can really get the heat low to allow the split peas to simmer and get tender without drying up all the liquid.

4. If you do like me and make a large batch to freeze. When you reheat, put a few tablespoons of water in the pot first to prevent it from going overly thick when it’s heat through.

Tonight we enjoyed the dhal with rice and curry stew chicken.

I encourage you to leave your comments and questions and do share you own way of making dhal with the community.

Happy Cooking!

Chris..

Another use for ochro besides Callaloo.

March 5, 2012November 9, 200935 Comments

The absolute only way I would engage in any dish with ochro (Okra) growing up, was callaloo and in some of the soups my mom would make on a Saturday. However that didn’t stop my mom from cooking fry ochro with and without saltfish (dry salted cod). We had a small garden (aka kitchen garden) at the back of our home and one of the vegetables we grew was ochro, so we always had a ready supply. However they were a bit different than the ones we get here in the supermarkets in Canada. Ours were a lighter green in colour (almost yellowish) and about 2 to 3 times longer, when ready to reap.

Fry ochro is yet another dish I only started to appreciate in adulthood, as many of the others I’ve mentioned in previous posts.

You’ll need…

1-2 lbs Ochro (okra)
Salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion sliced
2-3 cloves garlic (crushed – chopped)
1 pimento pepper 9sliced)

Note: I ended up using a pimento pepper in preparation only because I ran out of my usual habanero and/or scotch bonnet peppers. If you’re using a scotch bonnet pepper, you’ll only need a couple slices. BTW, the pepper is optional but it adds a nice flavour to the fry ochro.

Wash the ochroes and allow to air dry on paper towels or a kitchen towel. From advice from my mom, I allowed this to dry for about 2 hrs (there’s a reason why I did this, which I’ll explain below).

After which I trim the stems off the ochro and discard… then I slice each ochro about 1/4 to 1/2 a centimeter (about the thickness of 2 quarters). I then placed the slices on paper towel to air dry once more again. I recall my mom would allow the slices to air-dry on the counter top overnight. However, those were fresh-of-the-tree ochroes and not the store bought stuff that were probably harvested many days before that we get here. So I allowed it to air dry for a couple hours after they were sliced.

Why air dry 2 times?

It’s common knowledge that ochro is a bit slimy (mucilage) when sliced and can remain that way even when cooked. To avoid that sort of slimy texture the air drying process seems to remove most of the natural liquid in the ochro and prevents it from being overly slimy.

In a saucepan heat the olive oil (you can use vegetable oil, but since I’m using so much oil I thought it would be best to use a healthier oil) on medium to high heat. Then add the garlic, onion and slices of pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes, until it starts going brown. The next step is to add the sliced ochro and stir around. Then add the salt and allow to cook with the pan uncovered for about 20 minutes on medium/low heat.

It’s very important that you cook with the pan uncovered and that you stir very often. In about 20 minutes or so you’ll notice that the ochro starts to go brown (edges), this would be an indication that it cooked. I usually allow mine to go a bit dark (beyond golden) as I like the sort of nutty taste you get when the natural sugars starts to really caramelize. During the cooking process the ochro may start to stick to the bottom of the pot and you’ll notice that it absorbed all the oil you started off with. You can either turn down the heat or add a couple more tablespoons of oil. I usually turn down the heat a bit.

If you like to really make this uniquely Trinbagonian, add some pieces of salted cod to the oil before adding the onion, garlic and pepper that we started off with. If you do add some salted cod, you won’t need to add any additional salt to the dish.

Be sure to leave your comments below and I encourage you to share your ochro (okra) recipes with us.

Happy Cooking

Chris

The simplicity and splendor of fry plantains.

March 5, 2012November 2, 200941 Comments

Dad it’s getting black! Yup that’s what I heard the last 2 times I purchased plantains with the intention of sharing the simple recipe for fry plantains. I grew up eating fry plantains as a side to many dishes, but my absolute favourite was making sandwiches with these as the filler. I still recall my mom waiting just until the plantains would be so ripe they’d be very close to going black before she cook them. We were told that the more ripe (or quale) they went, the more sweet they would be. So this is exactly what I was trying to achieve, except with my rather busy schedule I tend to forget about them. Not until one of our girls point them out or when those pesky fruit flies appears, do I remember what I was trying to achieve.

For best results allow your ripe plantains to go a bit dark (it will look discoloured) before frying. In the pic below you’ll notice that the plantains I used were ripe, but were only just starting to go “quale” or discoloured.

You’ll Need..

1-2 ripe plantains
1-2 cups of vegetable oil for frying.
salt – optional
brown sugar – optional

Start by peeling the plantains. Do so by cutting off the ends and then cutting the plantain itself in the middle (as in the picture below).Discard the ends and get ready to peel off the skin and slice for frying.

Then using a small knife, cut through the skin along the length of the 2 pieces. Don’t go too deep as you only want to cut through the skin. Then peel back the skin and discard. Now cut thin strips (about 1/2 cm or little less than 1/4 inch) along the length of the piece of plantain.

The final step is to fry the pieces of sliced plantain. Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently place the pieces away from you to avoid hot oil splashing onto you. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (medium heat) or until it gets to the colour you like (use a fork to flip them over). The darker you allow it to go, it seems to also enhance the natural sugars in it. You’ll also notice that it floats when cooked through.

This is not a dish for the health conscious, since even though you pat dry on paper towels, the plantain tends to soak up a lot of the oil.

I usually sprinkle a little salt over mine and I know people who does the same with brown sugar… but you can enjoy these just the way they are when they cool a bit.

If you’ve ever purchased a rice dish at a Caribbean restaurant in North America you should have come across fried plantains served on the side. The Jamaican spot where I go for my jerk chicken with rice and peas, knows to give me a good potion of fry plantains with my takeout order.

Remember to leave me your comments below.

Happy Cooking.

Curry Channa (Chickpeas) With Aloo Recipe.

November 12, 2014October 26, 200954 Comments

Channa and aloo or “chickpeas with potato” cooked in curry and stuffed into “hops” bread was a fav of mine growing up. I would visit my uncle who was a teacher at Marabella Junior Secondary school and just outside the gates were vendors selling all sorts of local street food. Including channa and aloo sandwiches (they also had a range of hotsauces to top this off with). Then how could one forget Divali time when we would get invited to our friends place down the road for dinner. This usually meant curry channa and aloo with roti. It was a festive time and the table would be packed with a huge assortment of dishes, but all I ever wanted was the buss-up-shut roti and channa with aloo.

In my recipe I used canned channa, but if you have access to the dry peas and you have the time, give those a try as well. It just means you’ll have to boil the dry version until tender before adding to the curry potato. But you’ll avoid having to use processed peas which sits in a ton of salt and whatever else is used in canning process.

You’ll Need…

1 can chickpeas (also known as channa, garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, Kabuli chana, konda kadalai, kadale kaalu, sanaga pappu, shimbra, Kadala)
2 tablespoon curry powder (madras)
1/4 teaspoon salt (add more to your taste)
dash black pepper
1/2 medium onion sliced thin
1/4 hot pepper (I use habanero or scotch bonnet)
3 cloves garlic – crushed and minced
3 leaves of shado beni (or 2 tablespoon cilantro)
2 medium potatoes cubed
2 tablespoons water for the curry paste
4 tablespoons water to add to the cooked curry
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

You have 2 options when using the canned channa. You can rinse and cook or rinse, remove the skin and then cook. Since I hate the sort of gritty taste the skin gives the dish, I usually remove the skins from each channa grain. Yes, it does take about 15-20 minutes to remove them all, but the end result is much better in my opinion. Side note: If you were to purchase any dish that comes with curry channa (doubles to name one) the vendor would not have taken the time to remove the skins off the channa. So you know it tastes good even with the skin.. it’s just my personal choice.

After I’ve emptied the can of channa and rinsed it under running water, I start removing the outer skin. This is rather simple… take a channa between your fingers and apply a little pressure. The skin and channa will separate easily.

Now that we’ve removed all of the outer layer from the channa it’s time to slice and mince up the onion, pepper, garlic and shado beni to start cooking. Don’t forget to peel and dice the potato as well. In a fairly deep saucepan, heat the oil on medium to high heat and get ready to cook the curry a bit. Put the curry in a small bowl and pour in the 2 tablespoons of water, then stir to a thick paste. Pour this into the heated oil and allow to cook for a few minutes. As it dries down a bit, add the onion, garlic, pepper and shadow beni and stir around. To give this a bit of time to cook, add about 4 tablespoons of water. (you’ll cook the curry mixture for 4-8 minutes in total)

When the onion and garlic is soft and the liquid is all burnt off, add the potato and stir around to coat every piece with the curry mixture we just made. Immediately after add the channa and stir.

Pour in the 2 and 1/2 cups of water, add the salt and a dash of black pepper then bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer (pot closed). Allow this to cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato is tender. By now the water would have dried up and a thick sauce should have started to form. I like this dish with a bit of a thick gravy or sauce so using the back of my cooking spoon I press down on the potato and some of the channa. Then stir around so any runny liquid will get nice and thick. If you notice that after the 20 minutes cooking time you have little or no liquid in the pot, feel free to add some more and bring it to a boil. Same trick applies.. push down using the back of your spoon to help thicken the sauce.

Sometimes you wonder why it’s taken you this long to make something you usually purchase, when it’s so simple to make. leave me your thoughts below.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

p.s. hops bread is a a local bun the size of a hamburger bun in Canada and the US. It’s the main bun used for making sandwiches and you can get a fresh made batch at any of the local bakeries.

Seasoned breakfast potato wedges.

March 5, 2012October 18, 200926 Comments

Caron’s been asking me to make this for her quite some time now and when I finally got around to making it, I realized that she had come from working nights and would be sleeping in. So like any responsible adult I devoured it with other breakfast fixings so it didn’t go to waste. I must have been about 7 years old when I first had these seasoned fries. I was sleeping over at my Uncle’s place and my cousin (he was older) decided that since we didn’t have chicken to fry we would season the fries and pretend we were eating chicken. Now there’s no substitute for delicious fried chicken, but these fries were amazing. The liking for these fries stayed with me right into my adult life. Funny thing is I don’t ever recall making it for our girls, but Tehya did have some and she too is now hooked.

I made these into chunky wedges, but you can cut the potato to any size or shape you like and follow the recipe for wonderful seasoned fresh cut fries.

* Here is the recipe for the green seasoning we’ll be using.

You’ll Need…

4 medium/large potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)
Salt to taste
Dash of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon green seasoning mix.
Oil for deep frying

Peel and cut the potatoes into chunky wedges, rinse with water to remove some of the starchy residue off them and pat dry with a paper towel. Then in a bowl add the potato wedges, a dash of salt and black pepper and mix in the green seasoning. Allow this to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

Now it’s time to deep fry as you normally would. I used a faily deep frying pan with about 4-5 cups of vegetable oil over medium to high heat. Once hot I slowly placed the potato wedges (I did mine in 2 batches) into the hot oil. Beware of hot oil splattering onto you. Allow this cook until you get to the desired golden brown colour you like. Can take about 8-12 minutes depending on how big your chunks of potato are and the temperature of your oil.

Remove, drain on paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil and toss with a bit of salt (to taste). Serve as part of your breakfast or on it’s own.

Maybe you have a different way of making seasoned fries you’d like to share? Leave me you comments below.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

Pong-up yam with saltfish!

March 5, 2012October 15, 200915 Comments

For those of you not familiar with the Trinbagonian accent… “pong” simply refers to “pound”. So basically we’ll be pounding or mashing the yam in cooked salted cod and other ingredients to bring out the true essence of this wonderful “country” dish. This dish may have different names such as “yam choka” or “yam talkari”, but to me it’s pong up yam with saltfish. Besides using saltfish to flavour this recipe, I recall my mom also using left over stew pork as well. Usually this is a dish we would enjoy the day after we’ve had ground provisions. My mom would take the leftover pieces of yam, along with the saltfish or stew pork that was part of the original meal and cook it together for us to eat sada roti or fry bake with. Since I’m a novice at making roti (just waiting to get a good food processor that will help me make the dough), I make it into an entire meal and enjoy with a couple slices of zaboca (avocado).

Note: The yam I’m using in this recipe is NOT the type of sweet yams you get and use around Thanksgiving time in North America and will not come in a can. This yam is the real deal and makes up what we call ground provisions in the Caribbean. Also note that there are many varieties of this yam, including “Finger”, “Kush Kush” and “Juba” to name a few. All of which is rather soft when cooked and is fairly white in colour. However I’ve been to the local Caribbean grocers and have come across some varieties that comes from Jamaica (sort of a yellow yam) that very hard when cooked. I personally think that variety will not work with this recipe, as it it will be to hard when boiled.

Final yam note… this yam my dad purchased at an Asian store in Toronto for me, but I don’t know if it’s actually Asian in nature or actually African. I do know that unlike most yams from the Caribbean, this one cooks (gets soft when boiled) very fast and has a wonderful texture when cooked.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs of yam (not the yams you have for Thanksgiving in North America)
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion sliced
dash of black pepper
4-6 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 hot pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet) optional
1/8 of a green bell pepper diced small (sweet pepper)
4 oz salted fish (cod is great for this recipe)

Place the salted cod in a fairly deep bowl and cover with boiling water to remove the extra salt it was cured in. Allow this to soak for a few minutes until it’s cool enough for you to work with. In the meantime, peel the yam (see video below) and cut into pieces. Try to ensure that all the pieces are the same size so they all finish cooking at the same time. Rinse off the pieces of yam under cool water and place in a deep pot. The pot must be deep enough for water to cover the pieces of yam when boiling. Now place the pot over med-high heat and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling add the salt and turn down to the heat to a steady simmer/boil.

* Depending on the variety of yam you used and when that yam was harvested (if it’s harvested too early it will affect the cooking time) the time it takes to cook will vary. With the yam I used, it was cooked in under 15 minutes, but with normal Caribbean yam it won’t be done for at least 20 minutes +. Here’s how to test the yam to know if it’s fully cooked. Run a sharp knife through the pieces and if there’s no resistance, it means it’s done.

After you’ve tested that the yam is cooked (it will be soft, but firm) drain the water out and set it aside as we get ready for the next step. By now the hot water we poured over the salted fish should be cool. Drain that water, rinse with a new batch of cool water and squeeze off any excess water. The next step is to rip the fish into small pieces. I don’t think I mentioned it above, but I purchased the boneless type of salted fish.

In the same bowl you have the pieces of slated fish, add the sliced onion, hot pepper, black pepper and bell pepper.

Then in a fairly large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the fish and all the other ingredients and allow it to cook for about 6 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally.

The final step is to pour in the cooked yam and crush it, then stir to allow all the ingredients to combine. I used a wooden “pounder” (pestle) that I have, but you can also use a potato masher as well. If you don’t have either, simply use the back of your cooking spoon to mash or crush the yam pieces. It’s important that you stir often and prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Cook for a couple minutes (until everything is blended) and serve hot.

As mentioned above this is amazing as a side for roti or fry bake and just as great all on it’s own.

Do remember to leave me your comments and if you’re on Facebook feel free to add me as your friend: Connect With Chris On Facebook.

Here’s a video I did a while back showing you how to peel yams…

A sensational pepper choka for the grown.

May 28, 2025October 10, 20096 Comments

I recall my mom making something similar as a young fella and being warned that I/we should not touch it due to the high pepper content. Like everything your parents didn’t want you to do.. you did. The overwhelming heat was simply unbearable as a youth and I did learn my lesson, however that was the start of my love affair with extremely hot peppers and sauces made from such peppers.

Note: This is not like other chokas you’ll find on here that’s part of a meal. This pepper choka is more of a pepper sauce which is added on the side (in very small quantities) to add a bit of flair to any dish as you would normally use hot sauce. I just love this as a side when I’m enjoying a steaming hot plate of chicken pelau.

You’ll Need…

12-14 green (but mature) habanero or scotch bonnet peppers.
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 medoum onion sliced thin
1/2 head of garlic (about 5 cloves)

* If you can’t source habanero or scotch bonet peppers or maybe the heat is too much for you, feel free to use any pepper with a bit of heat to them.

TIP: I highly recommend that you roast your peppers in an outdoor grill, since while roasting it will give out a very strong peppery scent that can overwhelm your home and even cause you to cough. If you’ve ever allowed water to run onto a plate with hotsauce, you’ll know what I mean when I say it will choke you and cause you to cough.

This is one of the simplest recipes you’ll find on here. Start by getting half a head of garlic and using a sharp knife, cut the end off (I’ll explain why later) Then using foil wrap, competely enclose the garlic (you’ll notice that I didn’t completely enclose mine in tin foil, but that was a mistake) and place it away from direct heat on the grill. Then place the peppers onto the grill on low to medium flame/heat.

Allow the peppers to roast/grill for about 15-20 minutes and be sure to turn them often so each side gets in contact with the grill and flames. You’re trying to char the skin as it gives the pepper a smoky flavour and somehow intensifies the heat of the pepper.

Allow the garlic to roast for about 25 minutes or so then remove. Remember how I asked you to cut the tips of the garlic (see pics above)? Now, with the cut tips facing a small bowl, gently squeeze the head of garlic (remember to allow it to cool a bit first), it should easily squirt our the lovely roasted flesh of the garlic. In the same bowl place the salt and roasted peppers. Remember to remove the stems from the pepper first. Then using a masher or in my case a “pounder” crush everything into a chunky paste. This is meant to be rustic, so don’t worry about crushing everything uniformly.

The next step is to place the thinly sliced onions on top of the now crushed peppers and garlic, then heat the oil on medium to high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, gently pour it over the onions and mix thoroughly. You’re done!

Tip! : Be sure to use a pair of disposable latex gloves (or any water proof gloves) when handling the hot peppers. The oil that’s released can and will irritate your skin.

Tip! : By roasting the garlic you’ll find that it gets a bit sweet and loses some of the true “garlicky” taste. If you looking for a more traditional pepper choka, don’t roast the garlic but only use about 2-3 crushed cloves.

Final Tip! Yes, you can use a food processor instead of pounding away as I did. But you’ll need to add a couple tablespoons of oil when processing the roasted peppers, garlic and salt. Then pour it into a bowl before adding the sliced onions and pouring the heated oil. Remember to keep you face/nose away from the container if you used a food processor. The smell will be VERY peppery.

Again, I must warn you that this is incredibly hot and should be used in moderation. This can be made and left out for a couple days, then store in a covered contained in the fridge. However there are 2 things you must know.. 1. When using from the fridge I recommend that you heat it in the microwave before serving to bring it back to it’s original state. 2. When stored in the fridge you will find that it will lose some of it’s heat. I’m not sure why this happens, but from experience I know it does.

So what do you think my mom said when I went against her wish and took some of the pepper choka she made? “Who doh hear does feel”! In typical Caribbean parenting way.

A savoury and explosive mango talkari.

May 28, 2025September 20, 200933 Comments

Talkari or talcarie is a term used to describe a curry or side dish on the islands, and is East Indian in origin. Mango talkari (my mouth still waters as I recall my school boy days) or Mango Amchar was sold by vendors just outside the gates of my primary and secondary school. At breaks it would be a mad dash to fork out your 50 cents daily allowance to grab a pack of this spicy mango snack. There were times that the vendor would use too much pepper in it’s creation and you’d be gasping for air with the heat, by the time you’d be back in English Lit class.

Before we get to the actual recipe I’d like to point out that there are different variations of making this talkari. Some people pre-boil the mangoes or you can cook it directly in the amchar massala as I’m about to show you. There’s also a difference in ways you can finish. You can try to keep the mango pieces whole or in my case, try to get it to melt a bit and form a gooey texture.

You’ll need..

2 green mangoes (cut into wedges)
2 tablespoons Amchar Massala
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper (optional)
1 habanero pepper – sliced thin (or your favourite hot pepper)
3 cloves garlic crushed/chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Wash and cut the stem of the mangoes and get ready to cut into pieces. I’ve created a short video (see bottom of page) showing you how to go about cutting the mangoes to the required size. Bear in mind that I’m making this mango talkari with the skin and seed still attached. However you can also peel and cube the mango into pieces if you don’t want to be bothered with the time and effort it takes to cut the hard seed of the mango. If you do go this route, it will decrease on the cooking time and chances are you will end up with a more “melted” texture to the mango talkari.

After you’ve cut the mango into 1 cm pieces, wash and set aside to start cooking (be sure to remove the inside white pieces of seed that inside the mango seed itself) . In a heavy bottom pot/pan add the oil and allow to heat. Then toss in the garlic and slices of hot peppers, allow this to cook for a minute or 2 on medium heat.

Now we’ll add the pieces of mango and the amchar massala and stir to coat every piece of mango with the massala. After a couple minutes turn down the heat between medium and low and add the salt and sugar. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about 30-45 minutes. Depending on the type of green mango you used the cooking time will vary, as well as the tartness when you bite into it. Keep this in mind as you taste near the end for salt and sugar… add more accordingly. You’re looking for a taste with a combination of the massala, sweetness, tartness and heat from the hot pepper we used. You’re probably saying in your head “Chris how the heck should we know what you mean?” trust me, once you taste it you’ll know if you need to add more sugar and/or salt. If all you can taste is the massala or a tart taste… you need more sugar and a pinch of salt. BTW, the ideal mango talkari will have a lingering taste of the hot pepper and not be overwhelmed by heat. Unless this is to your liking!

I have a feeling I missed something in the description so let’s recap…

– remove the stem and cut the mango into pieces (wash and remove seed pieces)

– heat oil and cook garlic and hot peppers

– add mango and massala

– add sugar and salt, turn down the heat and cook with pot covered for about 40 minutes or until tender and coated. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning.

* Remember for faster cooking and to avoid having to cut the mango seed.. peel and cube the green mango.

Couple things I’d like to mention before I finish up with this recipe.. be sure to get “full” mango for best results. A full mango is one that’s mature enough to go to ripe soon and will be a yellowish shade when you cut it open (it will be less tart or sour) . The second thing I’d like to mention is that the hot pepper is an important part of this recipe, so even if you can’t handle the habanero or scotch bonnet, you can use a milder pepper. One that you can handle!

Be sure to leave me your comments or questions below.

Happy Cooking!

A chef d’oeuvre macaroni pie.

March 5, 2012September 14, 200976 Comments

I still recall coming back from playing football (soccer) or cricket on a Sunday morning and the house would be filled with the wonderful aroma of Sunday lunch being prepared. Though I was never a fan of it, macaroni pie is an integral part of a Trinbagonian Sunday lunch. For me the rice, stew chicken (or baked), callaloo (or stewed red beans), plantain, sweet potato and salad was all I ever had room for. I saw macaroni pie as a filler that took up prime real estate in my tummy.

Since we’re heading down to visit my parents before they head down to Trinidad for the winter months, I thought I make a batch to share the recipe with you and take some for my dad. I still don’t fancy it and he’s usually stuck with anything we have a hard time finishing.

* You’ll notice in the pics below that I used macaroni the length of spaghetti, but I’m almost positive you won’t be able to find this in grocery stores in North America, so feel free to use the elbow type we usually get here.

* I used cheddar (medium), but feel free to use a cheese “mixture” if you’re buying the pre-shredded variety you can now purchase at the grocers.

You’ll need…

400 grams (14 oz) macaroni
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can evaporated milk (370ml – 12.5 oz)
1/4 habanero or scotch bonnet diced fine (optional)
1/2 medium onion diced very small.
fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon butter
paprika (dust onto pie before baking)
1/3 teaspoon dry mustard

In a large pan put enough water to cover the macaroni, to boil. When the water starts boiling, salt and add the macaroni. Try not to overcook the macaroni, so we’ll only boil it for about 5-8 minutes or so. While this boils, we’ll prepare the other ingredients.

Start by dicing the onion and hot pepper as fine as you can. Then in a large bowl, add the diced pepper and onion, dry mustard, dash of black pepper, salt, eggs, butter and evaporated milk. Whisk together so everything is mixed thoroughly. Grate the cheese and add to the mixture, but keep back about 1/2 a cup to spread on top of the pie before baking.

The macaroni should be cooked by now, so go ahead… drain and allow to cool a bit, then add to the mixture we just made. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Grease a baking dish (fairly deep) as you would if you were making a cake or bread so the pie does not stick to the sides. Then add the macaroni mixture we just made. Using a spoon push down and level off. The final step before baking is to sprinkle the remaining cheese and dust with the paprika. When the oven comes to temperature place on the middle rack and allow to cook for about 30-40 minutes. You’re looking for a firm pie with a golden top. Allow to cool a bit before slicing.

Tips.

1. If you don’t like biting into onions, you also have the option of grating the onion so it’s more fine than you could possibly dice. The other option is to use onion powder. Personally I love the flavour and texture of the diced onions. While we’re still on onion topic, if you can get sweet onions like a Vidalia, try using those as the dish won’t be overpowered with onions. (other types of sweet onions include the Sweet Imperial, the Spring Sweet, and the Walla Walla)

2. To reduce the heat from the diced habanero peppers, avoid using the seeds or close to the stem. The bottom part is usually less potent. The heat from the pepper does give the dish a nice finish so if you can’t stand the heat from the habaneros or scotch bonnet, try using something a bit milder.

3. If you’d like to add some more flavour to this you can always add a crushed chicken bouillon cube to the liquid mixture we made.

Do leave me your thoughts on this recipe in the comments box below and remember to share you own recipe or unique way of making this classic Sunday side dish.

If only I had some stew chicken or beef.

BTW, all my talk about not really liking macaroni pie turned out to be crap. The craving I got while the aroma permeated the house while cooking.. here’s a pic of my plate ( I didn’t even wait long enough for it to cool)