Preparing 25 lbs of Tomato For Wintertime.

September 5, 2023September 1, 2023Leave a Comment

I LOVE Tomato Choka and if I’m being honest, I can probably have it everyday for the rest of my life. Such is the adoration I have for this tasty vegan dish. With that in mind and the fact that Canadian Winters can be severe, I try to process the tomato while the temperature is warm outside and when the local farmers are harvesting their summer’s crop. Fresh from the field tomato which are fire roasted makes a supreme Tomato Choka, even after being frozen. BTW have you tried my Tomato Choka Rice Soup yet? Make it happen!

You’ll Need…

25 lbs Roma Tomato (washed)
grill
food mill
freezer containers
large spoon
pairing knife
cookie sheet
tongs
bucket

Notes. I used 12 oz containers and the yield got me 12 containers to freeze. Watch the video for additional tips. I used Roma tomatoes as I find them to be more meaty (less water), contain less seeds and are a bit sweeter and not as tart as other varieties of tomato.

Wash and airdry the tomato and while you go through the box, check for those which are going bad (I lost about 5 lbs) and remove. Those ones (mom would be proud), I cut the pieces off which were still good and I plan do do a lovely curry with them in the coming days.

Using a pairing knife, remove the stems/stem area as it can be tough to break down later on. I’ll be using a food mill (refer to the picture below or video) but you may use a mortar and pestle (lots of work), food processor or blender. Be mindful that each option mentioned will give you a different finished texture and consistency. I used the largest grate (comes with 3 sizes) on the food mill, as I like my choka with a body.

Roast the tomatoes on a high heat. They took about 15 minutes to char perfectly and cook all the way through. Watch the video below for a few tips when grilling.

Yes you can broil (oven), stove top roast (messy), boil in water or microwave the tomatoes during the winter months, however NOTHING beats the flavor you get from roasting then over an open fire. Additionally, I paid $8.88 for 25 pounds of Roma tomato, which is incredibly cheap. During the winter the price can rage between $2 and$3.25 a pound in the supermarket. PLUS those are usually shipped from far distances (harvested green and sprayed with ripening inhibitors) or from closer green-houses (those taste like water). These tomatoes were grown in a field local to me and delicious from the summer’s sun.

You have a couple options now. Allow the tomatoes to cool and the skin will easily peel off before you break them down or as in my case, toss a few into your food mill and crank away. Coincidently the circumference of bucket I used (washed with soap and bleach first) fit the base of my food mill perfectly.

Be mindful that you’re working with hot tomatoes. Don’t risk getting burned.

It took a couple hours to work my way through the 25 pounds of tomato, as I had to stop to film, take pictures and set up shots. Basically it will take you much less time.

It’s just a matter of filling your containers and cleaning up at this point.

NO, do not add salt, pepper, onion etc at this point. May I recommend doing so fresh, when you make the actual choak in the months ahead. Yes, they will store for at least 6 months in the freezer.

Label the containers with the name of the contents as it can get confusing when frozen and they look like chilli or pasta sauce you may have in the freezer. Allow the roasted tomato sauce to COOL completely before you snap on the lids and stack them in the freezer. While you could use freezer zipper bags to freeze this (takes less space), I find these container stack better in my freezer and I’ve had instances when the freezer bags stuck together as they froze.

Thawing and Use. Remove from the freezer, place on your counter or in the fridge overnight, then place in a saucepan on a gentle heat (add a couple tablespoons of water if necessary), then proceed with making your tomato choka.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Oven Roasted Tomato Choka #MeatFree

May 5, 2020May 3, 20201 Comment

CHOKA! That heavenly, spicy vegan dish.. packed with roasted tomatoes, garlic and thinly sliced onions! If you’ve had it, you’d know what I mean. I guess this would be like a Caribbean version of Salsa? While ‘baigan’ (eggplant) choka is still the love of my heart, I’m a HUGE fan of tomato choka and since tomatoes are usually cheaper in the grocery, it’s made very often in my kitchen. Without a doubt, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more delicious vegetarian dish.. just the simplicity of it!

You’ll Need…

8-10 ripe tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1-3 scotch bonnet peppers
1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 red onion (any onion will work)

Note : I used 3 green scotch bonnet peppers.. the green (less mature) will have a ton of flavor, but without the raw heat. That said, be smart and use the variety and amount of pepper you have/can tolerate. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

Remove the stems, wash and core (remove the tough area where the stems were with a pairing knife) off the tomatoes. Dry them with paper towels, then onto a lined baking tray, along with the peppers. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle on 1/2 the salt. Toss to coat everything.

Into a 525 F oven on the middle rack. After 5 minutes, remove the peppers and into the mortar. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then remove the stems of the peppers, add the remaining salt along with the garlic.

Crush until you have a somewhat smooth paste.

After 25 minutes the tomatoes will be roasted and ready for use. You may remove the skins or keep them for that lovely smoky flavor. I kept the skins on 1/2 the tomatoes and tossed out the rest.

Add them individually into the mortar and crush. Please be mindful that they may “pop” when you first start crushing and hot juices may go flying at you. Crush until smooth, but with a bit of tiny chunks. Continue with the rest of them. If theres juices accumulated in the roasting tray, pour that into the mix too.

Give everything a good mix, then top with THINLY sliced onion. I used a red onion, but any onion you have on hand will work. Thinly sliced though.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan (until you see whispers of smoke), then pour directly onto the onions. This step is what we refer to as “Chunkay”. By pouring the hot oil over the onions, you’ll get a lovely flavor and it will slightly cook the onions and take away some of it’s pungency.

Top with the chopped parsley and stir well to combine everything. Hopefully you have some hot Sada Roti and a couple slices of ripe avocado to enjoy the perfect meal. Remember you can use this as a dip or salsa with your fav toasted bread or corn chips.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

The Ultimate Murtani (spicy choka) Recipe.

May 28, 2025November 18, 2019Leave a Comment

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) , this Murtani is meant to be SPICY and made with a combination of fire grilled vegetables, as you’re about to see.

You’ll Need…

1 medium eggplant
2 large tomatoes
2 scallions
2 Cubanelle peppers
8-10 scotch bonnet peppers
1 head garlic
8-10 okra
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1/3 large onion
3 leaves shado beni (optional)

Important! While it’s recommended that an open flame (charcoal, propane etc) fire is used for grilling off the vegetables, you can certainly do this in a very high indoor oven as well. Keep the seeds of the scotch bonnet to maintain the heat level and remember to wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.

In this recipe (watch the video below) I’m using my Coal Pot to grill off everything. Something my great grandmother and her ancestors would traditionally use to grill and cook on.

Basically all you’re doing is grilling everything until they are charred and in the case of the tomatoes and eggplant.. cooked all the way through. To assist with cooking faster, I did make some deep cuts into the eggplant.

For the garlic, I cut off the root end to expose the garlic, then I drizzled on 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and wrapped it in foil. This will allow for the garlic to roast evenly on the fire and take on a lovely sweet flavor.

After everything was fire roasted, I went inside and scraped off any excess char and with the Cubanelle peppers (optional as it’s not traditionally used) as they cooled, the skin came off easily (same for the tomatoes).

Remove the stems off the peppers and okra and discard.. and be sure to remove the stem area of the tomato as it can be very tough. Cut the eggplant down the center and scoop out the lovely flesh. Place all of this into your food processor, along with the salt.

Pulse to achieve a chunky consistency. Then scrape into a deep bowl. Top with thinly sliced onions.

The final step is to CHUNKAY! Basically heat the remaining olive oil until you see whispers of smoke, then pour it directly over the sliced onions. Give it all a mix and top with the finely chopped Shado Beni.

Don’t forget to taste for salt yea! Yes, this is meant to be VERY spicy, but you can certainly tailor it to your own liking. A great side for curry dishes or grab some hot Sada roti and dip in.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

A NEW Take On The Humble Tomato Choka.

May 28, 2025September 5, 2019Leave a Comment

Without a doubt, Tomato Choka (say .. tomatoes choka) is one of the most tasty ‘simple’ dishes you’ll ever enjoy. In this case, fire roasted (boiled, oven roasted or even microwaved) tomatoes are crushed along with salt, garlic and hot peppers, then thinly sliced onions are added, before heated oil is poured over it all and mixed. I guess this would be the English Caribbean version of a salsa?

You’ll Need…

10 medium tomatoes
2 green scotch bonnet peppers (adjust to your liking)
6-8 cloves garlic
1 large onion (divided)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)

Important! Please wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. To control the heat a bit, you can always leave out the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. I used “green” scotch bonnet peppers as I much prefer the flavor and gentle heat from them.

Fire roast the tomatoes and peppers as you would normally do if making the choka the traditional way. May I recommend you gently char the peppers as it will add a lovely smoky flavor to the heat. The tomatoes will take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of them and how direct they are over the flame. Be sure to flip them around so all sides gets cooked/charred evenly.

Place 1/2 the onion (rough chop) into the food processor, the garlic, roasted peppers (remove the stems and discard) and add the now roasted tomatoes. You can wait a few minutes to allow the tomatoes to cool as bit and remove as much of the charred skin and discard before adding to the food processor. Top with the salt and puree.

After a minute or so on high, add the cilantro (give it a rough chop first), then give the processor a few pulses and this part is complete.

Pour this puree into a large bowl and top with the remaining onion sliced as thin as you can get it. Heat the olive oil on a medium flame and as soon as you start seeing smoke, pour it over the onion. This step is called Chunkay! It’s meat to temper the onion flavor throughout the choka and take away the harsh flavor of the onion.

Give the tomato choka a good mix and serve wit hot roti, pita or top your favorite crusty bread with some and enjoy. Be sure to taste for salt and adjust accordingly, as some tomato can be very tart. This is a classic vegan dish which also happens to be gluten friendly as well.. well unless you eat it with a non gluten friendly bread. Serve warm!

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Grilling Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Baigan Choka (eggplant dip) Recipe In The Oven.

June 2, 2025March 12, 20154 Comments

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.

You’ll Need…

2 med eggplant (about 2-3 lbs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon veg oil
2 cloves garlic (divided)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 small onion

* If you didn’t already know, baigan is just another name for eggplant. This dish is both vegetarian and gluten free. Be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Set your oven to the broil setting (525 F) and as it gets to temp, lets prepare the eggplant. Trim off the stem area, make some slits in the eggplant and for maximum flavor.. slice one of the cloves of garlic thinly and place them into the slits in the eggplant.

Line a sturdy baking tray with tin foil so you won’t have a mess to clean up after. Place the eggplant and WHOLE scotch bonnet pepper and drizzle with the vegetable oil on the eggplant. Using your hands rub the oil around the eggplant and place it in the oven.

After 5 minutes, remove the scotch bonnet – it should be slightly charred now. In a heavy bowl (or mortar and pestle) place the scotch bonnet (remove the stem), remaining clove of garlic and salt and pound to a smooth paste. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers. TIP – I used a slightly mature scotch bonnet so I get a tamed heat. Remember you can control the heat level by how much scotch bonnet you choose to use.

After 25-30 mins at 525 F your eggplant should be perfectly cooked. Remove from the oven and slice down the center and using a table spoon, scoop out all that goodness and place in the same bowl we have the crushed pepper / garlic / salt.

Now crush the eggplant you scooped out until it’s somewhat smooth (you can do all of this with your mortar and pestle – I used a traditional “ponga”). Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan just until you start seeing smoke. In the meantime thinly slice the onion and place it on top of the eggplant mixture (do not mix it yet). Now pour the heat oil onto the onion (this is called chunka). By doing so we do two things. We get the rawness out of the sliced onion and we also pull some flavor out of the onion. Mix well and serve.

This is a dish I love eating with hot sada roti and it’s something my mom makes daily for me when I visit home (Trinidad and Tobago), but you can use any flat bread or use as a dip for any of your favorite potato or corn chips. I hope you give it a try as it’s so simple to do in the oven and I know if you’re old school you’ll miss the smoky flavor of the fire roasted, but the high heat we roast it at in the oven will give it a unique taste.

Recipe Card

Baigan Choka (Eggplant Dip) in an orange serving bowl

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Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Cuisine: Trinidadian Courses: Appetizers & Snacks, Grilling Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Quick Meals Spicy Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 35 mins

Servings: 4

Diet:

G Gluten-Free V Vegan V Vegetarian

Description

A classic Trinidadian dish, baigan choka is traditionally made by roasting eggplant over an open flame. This oven-broiled version captures the essence of the original, delivering that smoky flavor with less mess, perfect for those in cooler climates or without access to a grill.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (about 2-3 lbs)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic (divided)
1 pepper scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed)
1 small onion

Instructions

Video

Set your oven to the broil setting 525 degrees F (275 degrees C).
Prepare the Eggplant (2). Trim off the stem area, make some slits in the eggplant for maximum flavor.
Slice one of the Garlic (2 clove) thinly and place them into the slits in the eggplant.
Line a sturdy baking tray with tin foil.
Place the eggplant and Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1) and drizzle Vegetable Oil (1 teaspoon) on eggplants. Using your hands rub the oil around the eggplant and place it in the oven for 25 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the scotch bonnet – it should be slightly charred now.
In a heavy bowl (or mortar and pestle) place the scotch bonnet (stem removed), remaining clove of garlic and Salt (1/4 teaspoon) and pound to a smooth paste.
After 25-30 minutes, your eggplant should be perfectly cooked. Remove from the oven and slice down the center and using a table spoon, scoop out all that goodness and place in the same bowl as garlic-pepper mixture.
Now crush the eggplant you scooped out until it’s somewhat smooth.
Heat the Olive Oil (2 tablespoon) in a small frying pan just until it starts to smoke.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the Onion (1) and place it on top of the eggplant mixture (do not mix it yet). Now pour the heated oil onto the onion.
Mix well and serve.

Note

Baigan is another name for eggplant.

This dish is both vegetarian and gluten-free.

Adjust the amount of scotch bonnet pepper to control the heat level.

Be cautious when handling hot peppers; wash hands thoroughly after use.

Tell us what you think

Gluten Free Soups & Stews Vegetarian

Roasted Tomato And Rice Soup, Memories of Tomato Choka.

May 28, 2025November 13, 20133 Comments

About 10 years ago I had my first culinary encounter with tomato and rice soup while visiting Caron’s grandparents and though I wasn’t (so I thought..silly me) a fan of tomato soup, the plump grains of rice in it got my attention. I could not believe I was asking for seconds even though my bowl was only half the way through. I had always reflected back to that dish, but for some reason I never ventured to ask Heddi (ma-mere) for the recipe. Somehow I’m glad I didn’t as when it came time to prepare it it this past summer when we had an abundance of vine ripe tomatoes in our garden, I decided to put my own twist on this tomato and rice soup I first fell in love with a decade ago.

Tomato choka is one of my favorite ways to enjoy ripe tomatoes, so I thought I’d mimic the same technique in making this rice and tomato soup for those rich roasted and spicy flavors. Basically, here’s my take on tomato choka soup.

You’ll Need…

3 large tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chicken stock (or veg)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch ground coriander

* If you don’t have access to a grill as I did, toss the tomatoes in about 2 tablespoon of olive oil (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and roast them in your oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes or so. You will notice that I used chicken stock, but the recipe is posted in the vegetarian section. For vegetarians, please use vegetable stock and it will be a complete one-pot vegetarian meal. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free do go through the ingredient list to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

As with making traditional tomato choka I placed the ripe tomatoes on my grill, along with a whole green scotch bonnet pepper to cook. The pepper will take about 2-3 minutes (remove), but give the tomatoes about 20-30 minutes, flipping them so they char evenly. Yes, it’s normal for them to look burnt on the outside.

Remove the tomatoes off the grill and place in a bowl to cool. They will release a lot of liquid as they cool, thus the reason for having them in a bowl so you can save this lovely liquid to add to the pot later. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin and give them a rough chop.

Heat the olive oil on a med/low flame in your soup pot and gently cook the diced onion, thyme and garlic for about 4 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. By adding the tomato paste at this point the sort of frying will increase the natural sugars in the paste and give the dish a lovely sweetness.

Now turn up the heat and add all the other ingredients except the rice. Bring to a boil.

Wash the rice to remove any grit and extra starch. Do so by placing the rice in a strainer and run cool water over it while moving it around until the water runs clear. Or you can place the rice in a deep bowl, top with water, then massage the grains of rice. The water will get cloudy. Drain, repeat until the water runs clear. As the pot comes to a boil add the rice, then turn the heat down so you have an active simmer going.

Let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice grains are plump and fully cooked.

Skim off any sort of reside off the top of the pot as it cooks and discard. Remember to taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If you used a whole scotch bonnet pepper as I did, you now have 2 options. Remove it so you don’t have that ‘kick’ or burst it open to reveal that Caribbean sunshine. WARNING! It will be live!

Top with some chopped parsley and get ready to serve with a thick slice of coconut bake or bread. This is not your typical Caribbean soup which is usually thick with ground provisions and salted meats (for the most part), but I assure you that this absolutely delicious, quite filling and a great twist on traditional tomato soup and rice soup.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Vegetarian

Simple, but very tasty tomato choka recipe.

March 5, 2012April 20, 200975 Comments

trini-tomato-choka As kids growing up we (brother and sisters) went to school in “town”, which meant leaving home very early as it was a fairly long drive every morning. This usually meant a quick breakfast that we could grab and go. But on the weekend it was a different story. Yes, we still had to wake early and get chores done if we wanted to be on the good side of our mom for the day, but she would spoil us with some hearty food for breakfast. One of my favorite things to eat on the weekend was tomato choka and roti. My mom is tops when it comes to making roti, something I still have to learn to make. But her tomato choka was phenomenal.

She still makes a mean choka, but I do find myself craving my own simple version.

You’ll need…

3 medium to large ripe tomatoes (leave on your kitchen counter to really ripe)

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 of a small onion (depends on how much you like onions)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 hot pepper (to control the heat, don’t use the seeds)

Note: There are several ways you can prepare the tomato for this recipe, but in this version we’ll use the grill. You can also boil in water, place in the microwave on high for a few minutes, roast in your oven or roast in a frying pan on your stove top. If you’d like more info on any of these other methods, leave me a comment or use the contact link above to send me a message.

Wash and remove the stems from the tomato, then place on grill (BBQ). Try to keep the temperature set at about 400C and rotate a couple times to cook evenly. Try not to play with them as they cook as they are delicate and can crush and be of no use to you. I also roast my pepper for a couple minutes as well. Don’t ask me why… it’s just the way I saw my mom do it.

tomato-choka

grilled-tomatoes

In a bowl add the garlic (slice to make this step easier), salt, hot pepper and get a pestle or something to crush everything with. The salt will assist in breaking things down since it’s abrasive.

choka-recipe

With a little bit of force, try to crush everything into a paste.

minced-ingredients-for-tomato-choka

After about 10-15 minutes on the grill, remove the tomato. It will look charred and you’ll almost think you’ve ruined it. Nope.. that just brings out the natural sugars in the tomato and it’s exactly what we’re looking for. The burnt skin should easily fall off.. try to remove as much as you can. Then add the tomatoes to the bowl with the already crushed garlic and pepper.

roated-tomato-choka

Crush everything into a nice thick sauce. the tomato will let out a bit of liquid (depends on the variety of tomato you use). You’ll probably find that around the stem area of the tomato will be a bit tough to crush. You can remove that from the bowl.

crushed-tomato-for-choka

Final steps…

Slice the onion very thin and place on top of the now crushed mixture. Then in a small frying pan, put the olive oil to heat on high. In a couple minutes you’ll start seeing the oil starting to smoke. Try not to keep it on the heat fro much longer as olive oil cannot withstand too much heat. Take the oil over to the bowl and gently (be careful for oil splatters) pour onto the onions. Act fast – stir the entire lot around so the crushed garlic, the salt, pepper, roasted tomato puree and the onions get’s mixed evenly. You’re done!

add-onions-to-choka

TIP : I try to use a “sweet” onion instead of a normal cooking onion so it’s not as bitter when eating. In the past I’ve also roasted the garlic before crushing but I’ve found that I missed that true garlic flavor that I grew up with.

Overall a very simple, but tasty side dish that’s just perfect for roti or worst case.. pita!

Recipe Card

Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

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