I spoke about my adoration for Baigan Choka in my cookbook and how it’s one of those dishes that takes me back to innocent days of being ah lil fella on the islands. Served with hot Sada Roti and a thick wedge of Zaboca (avocado) and a cup of warm Cocoa Tea or Milo. That…
Choka.. a spicy condiment made from roasted vegetables and hot peppers (as hot as you can handle) is one of those delectable vegan dishes we enjoy in the Caribbean. While most chokas are meant to be as spicy as you can tolerate and very basic.. usually made with one vegetable (like eggplant or tomato) ,…
The key to making traditional baigan (eggplant) choka (dip) is roasting the eggplant over an open flame and if you really want to excite the taste buds with even more flavor, you would place the eggplant on hot coals. On so many levels this is not always possible, especially if you live in temperate climates where having that fire in the middle of winter is not possible. Yes, you can always use the flame on your stove top, but if you’ve ever had to clean up that stove after – you’d never do it again. This baigan choka recipe is specifically for people who want the same sort of flavors, but with an easier method of achieving this. Students, you can even do this is a toaster oven.
A few years ago Caron’s aunt and grandmother had stopped by for a visit as I was getting ready to put an eggplant on the BBQ to get it roasted for one of my favourite childhood dishes, baigan choka. When I explained what I was about to do, they mentioned that they had something similar…
