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.

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Baigan Choka (Eggplant Dip) in an orange serving bowl

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Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Cuisine: Trinidadian 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.

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Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

French Beans With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Pork.

May 27, 2025March 5, 20151 Comment

Between spinach and beans it would be very difficult for me to decide which I adore more. The edge would probably go to beans simply because as a young fella on the islands I would help my parents grow different varieties in our kitchen garden. I hated pulling out the weeds, but I did enjoy harvesting them.. each bean picked off the bushes were like little prizes to my collection in the basket. Mom would normally make this dish for us whenever she would make stewed pork the evening before for dinner and had leftovers. If you’d like to make this dish vegetarian, simply leave out the stewed pork and for more flavor use coconut milk instead of the water mentioned in the ingredient list.

You’ll Need…

1.5 lbs French beans (any green bean will work)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Hot pepper (I used wiri wiri)
1 cup water (or coconut milk if making this vegetarian)
left over stewed pork

* If making this dish gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients (including the stewed pork) to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Trim the beans, wash and drain. Chop the onion, mince the garlic and get ready to rock one of the tastiest french beans dish you’ve ever had. Heat the oil in a wide pan on a low heat, then add the garlic, onion, thyme and black pepper. Allow it to go for about 3 minutes, so we start with a lovely flavor base.

You will notice that I opted for a Guyanese favorite, wiri wiri peppers for this recipe but you can use any (or none) hot pepper you like. You’ll also notice that I added them whole and never cut or burst them, as we want flavor and not raw heat.

Turn up the heat and add the beans, stir well and go in with the salt and whole peppers. Lastly, add the water and bring to a boil.

When it comes to a boil turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pan and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes (this depends on how well-done you like your beans). Then add the pieces of stewed pork to the pot, mix well and turn the heat up to burn off any excess liquid which may still be in the pot. Once the liquid is gone, turn off the stove and you’re done. If adjusting the salt in this dish, do so ONLY after tasting it AFTER adding the stewed pork. Since the pork would have already been salted perfectly, you don’t want to salt before adding it to the pot.

I like my beans with a slight crunch to them, so I usually allow them to cook for about 8-10 minutes before I ad the stewed pork. Do remember to remove the peppers before serving and try your best to not break them during cooking.. well, unless you want that lovely kick from the heat. If you don’t have stewed pork, you can go in with stewed chicken or stewed beef with basically the same results as this version.

Gluten Free Seafood

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

February 17, 2015February 17, 20151 Comment

When you grow up in the ‘country’ areas on the islands, you’re sure to have a kitchen garden where most of the vegetables, herbs and peppers you use in in the kitchen, comes directly from. My brother and I were gardeners from a very young age (not by choice.. especially when we wanted to run football and not tend to plants). Looking back, it seems we always had some sort of beans planted in that small plot of land at the back of our home. Maybe this is where my love for beans of all types originated? In this recipe we’ll use two of my favorite ingredients, string beans and shrimp along with that curry base, this will definitely be delightful.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 teaspoon veg oil (marinating the shrimp)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
2 lbs string beans (any type of green beans)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Note: You can use bodi (yard beans), French beans or just about any green beans you enjoy! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire ingredient list to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Be mindful that most curry powder may have flour as a filler, so do read the label.

Trim the edges off the beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and wash/drain. Dice the peppers, onion and garlic. Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers you must wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Peel and devein the shrimp, then season with the green seasoning and the teaspoon of vegetable oil and set aside to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

Heat a wide pan on medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the pan and set aside as we don’t want to overcook the shrimp (they will go rubbery).

Burn off any liquid in the pan, then add the tablespoon of veg oil and go in with the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low as we don’t want to burn the garlic but get that lovely flavor out of it. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

With the heat still on low, toss in the curry powder and black pepper, stir well. In this step we’ll toast the curry to release the rich flavors of the spices which makes up the curry blend. This step will also cook-out the sort of raw curry taste.

The curry will go dark and grainy.. that’s exactly what we’re looking for. Turn the heat up to medium and add the trimmed string beans as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Mix well to get all that lovely curry goodness from the bottom of the pan. Now add the water, cover the pan and bring it up to a boil. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 12 minutes. Don’t forget to add the salt at this point as well.

At this point it’s time to go in with the previously cooked shrimp and diced bell peppers and turn up the heat to burn off any liquid at the bottom of the pot. Taste for salt (adjust accordingly) and cook longer (or less) depending on how you like your beans cooked. To stretch this dish you can also add some diced tomato near the end.

You should have plump and juicy shrimp, tender beans and that curry will bring it all together. For a more rich flavor you can use coconut milk instead of water in the cooking process. You may notice that I included some of the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper.. be mindful that will increase the heat level as most of the heat in such hot peppers are in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Gluten Free Vegetarian Pelau Recipe.

March 18, 2015February 12, 201515 Comments

With the increase in demand for both vegetarian and gluten free recipes, I thought I’d take one of the most traditional dishes of the Southern Caribbean and remove a key ingredient – meat! Meat lovers can tune in here for the Chicken pelau video. This one pot dish was a must whenever we’d spend a day at the beach, go to the Oval to watch touring cricket teams and whenever pigeon peas was in season. back then freshly shelled peas were used, but today living in North America I have no choice but to reach for the canned stuff. I assure you, you won’t know there isn’t meat in this dish when it’s done ‘bubblin’ and you serve yourself a plate.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 cups pigeon peas (1 can)
1 large carrot diced
1/2 cup celery (diced)
2 cups rice (brown par boiled)
1.5 cup coconut milk
2.5 cups water
2 scallions
2 pimento peppers (optional)
2 bird’s pepper (bird’s eye)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dice, chop and slice the carrot, celery, peppers, scallions and scallions. Drain the can of pigeon peas and rinse with cool water..drain. In a deep pot on medium high heat, add the veg oil, then go in with the brown sugar. As we’ve done with other Caribbean “stewed” dishes, we want to get that rich color and flavor from the caramelized sugar.

This is the only critical step in making this vegetarian pelau as if it goes beyond the amber/frothy color we’re looking for the finished dish WILL have sort of burnt taste and we don’t want that. The sugar will melt, then go a rich golden colour, before going frothy and a deep amber color. This is when we want to go in the diced carrot, celery and pigeon peas. TIP: Use a spoon which can withstand high heat (no plastic), make sure the peas are drained well after washing as we don’t want any liquid and the spoon should have a long handle as the melted sugar can jump-back at you. Move around the vegetables and let it cook/brown for about 4 minutes.

Now you will have a deep brown base to help color the entire dish (pelau isn’t supposed to be pale..according to my mom). Add the other ingredients, with the rice, coconut milk and water going in last.

If you’re new to Caribbean cuisine, you may not know that we wash our rice before cooking. This removes some of the excess starch and any debris that may be in the rice from the mill. You have 2 options. 1 – Place the rice in a strainer and run water through it. Massage and keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Option 2 – place the rice in a deep bowl, cover with water and massage with your hands. the water will go cloudy – drain and repeat until the water is clear.

Go in with the bird’s eye pepper (leave whole so we get flavor and not the raw heat – remember to remove them before serving). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil with the lid on the pot. Stir every 5 minutes and cook for about 25-30 minutes.. until all the liquid is gone. Do remember to taste for salt and adjust accordingly. TIP: If you find that the pelau is pale in color you can go in with a bit Caribbean food browning. There are two ways people like their finished pelau. Grainy rice (my way) or a bit overcooked with the rice being a little mushy or creamy. So adjust your cooking time to accommodate your preference.

Besides liking my pelau grainy, it MUST be piping hot – to the point where with every fork full I have to suck air in at the same time to help cool it down or risk burning my mouth. Don’t ask me why – that’s just the way I like it! This vegetarian gluten free recipe is simply outstanding and I assure you meat eaters you will not miss that chicken or salted meats we normally use. Traditionalists will want to reach for that Golden Ray (salted butter) to give it that wicked ‘creole’ taste, but do remember we’re doing this one vegetarian.

If you’d like to request a recipe, hit me on Twitter @Obzokee and we’ll get to it! If you’re doing this recipe gluten free do go through the complete list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free diet.

Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Traditional Caribbean Peppersauce (hot sauce) Recipe.

May 28, 2025February 6, 201527 Comments

This is as old school as a recipe could possibly get on CaribbeanPot.com. Not just the recipe but the tool and technique I’ll be using. Before the days of blenders and food processors, we had food mills. Used to grind the dhal for making dhalpuri roti, preparing the dried fruits for making traditional black/rum cake, making homemade pepper sauces, grinding dried corn for making chilli bibbi and various other uses in the kitchen. Luckily my mom brought a mill for me many years back and with the abundance of fiery hot peppers in my garden last summer, I thought I’d dust out the Mr. mill and share this recipe with you all. Hopefully I’ll give you a glimpse into a glorious past.. something we seem to be losing touch with.

You’ll Need…

Hot Peppers (about 4-6 cups chopped)
6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup white vinegar

Note: As mentioned this past summer I had an excellent crop of Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, Chocolate Scotch Bonnet and Trinidad Moruga Scorpions… all deadly peppers. But you can use any 1 or do a mix as I did. Traditionally in the Caribbean we would use Scotch Bonnet peppers for this recipe.

IMPORTANT: Be mindful that these peppers are extremely hot and the oils can cause serious irritation (and pain). Do wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Do not touch any sensitive areas after handling these peppers.

Wash the peppers and trim off the stems and give the peppers a rough chop. For a fiery peppersauce leave the seeds, if not do remove them if you wish to tame things down. Give the cilantro (traditionally in the Caribbean you’d use Chadon beni) and garlic a rough chop as well.

Now it’s time to set up the mill on a sturdy work bench (I used the desk in our kitchen). Assemble the mill, then adjust the settings at the back (2 screw-like things) to control the texture of the ground pepper. Once you start turning the handle with the peppers in the catchment area you’ll be able to better determine the coarseness you want. When clamping down the mill to your work surface I would recommend using a piece of cloth or paper towels to protect the area from getting damaged as you tighten it.

Place a deep bowl under the area where the ground peppers will fall, then start adding a mixture of the garlic, peppers and chopped cilantro into the mill and start cranking. Keep a wooden spoon handy as you may have to press down on everything for it to work through the mill. (watch the video below).

Remember this is when you can adjust the coarseness.. so adjust accordingly.

I would even recommend using safety goggles when cranking and pushing down on the peppers in the event you get hit in the eye with any of the juices. To finish up all you have to do is mix in the vinegar, salt and lime (or lemon) juice and mix well with the ground peppers.

This recipe is as traditional and basic as you can get when it comes to peppersauce in the Caribbean. You can now get creative and add other ingredients like papaya (green), bitter melon, carrots and other herbs. Since we used vinegar this pepper sauce can remain on your kitchen counter as the vinegar will act as a preservative. For a longer shelf life you can certainly keep it in the fridge, but I’ve noticed that when you leave hot sauces in the fridge it somehow tames the heat factor! Store in a clean glass container.

Back in the day I remember my Uncle B (I spoke about him in my cookbook) would handle all the peppers with his bare hands and he’d be cool with it. My man hand hands of steel.. and everyone sought his help when they were making peppersauce!

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Print Recipe

Traditional Caribbean Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

4-6 cups Hot Peppers (chopped)
6 cloves garlic
¹⁄₂ cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup white vinegar

Instructions

Video

Wash the Scotch Bonnet Pepper (6 cup) and trim off the stems.
Give the peppers, Garlic (6 clove) and Fresh Cilantro (1/2 cup) a rough chop.
Place a deep bowl under the area where the ground peppers will fall, then start adding a mixture of the garlic, peppers and chopped cilantro into the mill and start cranking. Keep a wooden spoon handy as you may have to press down on everything for it to work through the mill.
Adjust coarseness based on your preferences.
Continue grinding until everything has been passed through.
Finally mix in the Distilled White Vinegar (1 cup), Sea Salt (1 teaspoon), and juice from the Lime (1) with the ground peppers.
Since vinegar was used, this pepper sauce can remain on your kitchen counter as the vinegar will act as a preservative. For longer shelf life, you can certainly keep it in the fridge. Enjoy!

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Desserts Gluten Free

Orange Brown Sugar Glazed Plantain Recipe.

February 6, 2015January 19, 201512 Comments

I’ve been fortunate to travel up and down the Caribbean island chain over the years and one of the things I find astonishing, are the many uses we have for plantains. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Sunday lunch (most important family meal) always consisted of boiled ripe plantains to go along with the stewed meats, Callaloo, Macaroni Pie, Stewed Beans, Sweet Potato and other tasty treats mom would prepare. Very simple, but what a joy to eat. The English, Spanish, French and Dutch Caribbean all have their unique take on preparing Plantains (green and ripe) and I’m sure this orange brown sugar glazed plantain recipe will surely join in among other classics.

You’ll Need…

2 ripe plantains
pinch salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Note: The more black (and ugly looking) the plantains are, the better they are for use. This is an amazing dessert and can also be used as a topping for your favorite ice cream. Fried ripe plantains are great to serve as a side to spicy dishes (like jerk and curry) as the natural sweetness helps to balance the heat elements.

Peel and slice the plantains into 1/4 inch pieces. I did oval shape, but if you wish you can certainly do lone pieces.

Place the slices of plantain in a container and add all the ingredients, except the butter. Stir and allow it to marinate for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat the butter on a medium/low flame in a wide pan and add the pieces of marinated plantains. Keep the marinade. Fry on both sides until you have a golden color and slightly crisp edges.

After you have the desired golden color, go in with the leftover marinade and bring to a boil. The plantains are fully cooked, so all you have to do is allow the glaze or sauce to thicken up to a consistency you like.

Note: 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.

Do give this plantain recipe a try as it’s fun to do and quite tasty.. your sweet-tooth will thank you.

Gluten Free

Baigan Choka (eggplant dip) Recipe In The Oven.

Recipe Card

Baigan Choka (Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

French Beans With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Pork.

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

Gluten Free Vegetarian Pelau Recipe.

Traditional Caribbean Peppersauce (hot sauce) Recipe.

Recipe Card

Traditional Caribbean Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

Orange Brown Sugar Glazed Plantain Recipe.

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