Vegetarian

ground provision explained (7)

In this post I’ll attempt to explain what “Ground Provisions” are, the part it plays in Caribbean cuisine and a simple recipe for preparing everyday ground provisions. In previous recipes I’ve shared, I’ve commented on using ground provisions and over time I’ve come to realize that I had left my readers a bit confused when I did. It’s one of those things where you assume everyone knows what you’re speaking about and don’t give it much thought.

Ground Provision, Provision, Blue Food, Dry Food, Food For The Back, Country Food… yes, I just had to add some more confusion to the mix. These are just some of the other names people use when the refer to ground provision in the Caribbean (BTW if you have a different name for ground provision, do share with us in the comments below). And though it’s called “Ground” not all the items are directly from the ground. Ground provision or provision is one of the main staples I grew up on living in Trinidad and Tobago. That rice and flour made up a major part of our diet. I guess it can be compared to the way potato is used globally.

So what is considered provisions? Yam, Sweet potato, eddoes, dasheen, taro, tania, cassava, breadfruit, plantain, moko and green fig (banana). And for the most part, the most common way of preparing the majority of items, is by boiling. Like in the recipe I’m about to share below…

ground provision explained

You’ll Need…

4 medium eddoes
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 taro (about 2lbs)
1 teaspoon salt

* I went looking for dasheen in the grocery store and saw what I thought was dasheen, but they had it labeled as Taro.
* Tip – When working with ground provisions, it’s best if you rub some cooking oil all over your hands or use a pair of latex gloves, as you may find that your hands may itch from handling them when peeling.

Peel the eddoes, sweet potato and taro and cut into chunky pieces, but make sure they’re about the same size (I usually just cut the sweet potato and eddoes in halves) so they cook uniformly. If you’re peeling them in advance of cooking, be sure to place them in a deep bowl and cover with cool water to prevent them from going discoloured.

ground provision explained (2)

I’ve seen where people put a pot of water to boil, then add the provisions, but I much prefer to place the peeled provisions into a deep pot, cover with water and then bring to a boil on a high heat. When it comes to a boil, you then add the salt and turn the heat down to a simmer.

ground provision explained (3)

As it boils you’ll notice some stuff start to settle at the top, that’s mainly starch and other impurities that you can spoon off and discard.

ground provision explained (4)

Allow this to boil for about 20 minutes or until you can pierce through a piece with a sharp knife without any resistance. While cooking this taro I noticed that it did cook faster than the sweet potato and eddoes, so I would suggest you either remove the taro after 15 minutes or so, or add them to the pot after the other provisions have been cooking for about 5 minutes. I much prefer removing, as if you add it during the cooking process it will lower the heat within the pot and you’ll have to adjust the heat.

The next step is to drain as you would if you were boiling potatoes and then enjoy. The options now are endless as you can re-fry these as I did in the “yam recipe” and the “cassava” recipe or eat them with stewed meats, make a pie as I saw being made in Tobago with bread fruit or simply top with some butter and/or cheese and enjoy. Two classic combinations for ground provisions are provision with tomato and salt fish and provision with saltfish buljol. And if you like eddoes, be sure to check out the eddoes talkari recipe I shared a while back.

With the provision I cooked above I had it with stewed pork – see pic below:

ground provision explained (8)

One of the things the majority of us from the Caribbean miss when we leave the shores of our beautiful islands is definitely the abundance and ease of getting fresh ground provisions. Whenever I get homesick I rush out to the many ethnic grocery stores to find some yam, dasheen, eddoes, green bananas or cassava (as a last resort only) and if I’m lucky I can score a breadfruit. A classic “oil down” using breadfruit simmered in stewed pork and coconut milk is the ultimate in comfort food for me. Not only is it packed with many layers of flavours, but it takes me back to my childhood when my dad and his friends would be up all night playing “all fours” and the menu for the night was oil down.

Yes, provisions makes up a huge part of everyday Caribbean culture and cuisine… what would Saturday soup be without provision?

During world war 2 when everything imported was rationed, my dad told me that provision was “king”, as there wasn’t much rice and flour entering the islands. And those who once frowned on what was considered “poor or country people” food, had no choice to to resort to eating it.

Leave me your comments below or join us on facebook for the lively discussions.

Vegetarian

Curry Bodi With Potato A Vegetarian Delight.

March 5, 2012December 28, 201038 Comments

trini curry bodi (14)

If you were to look up the word “carnivore” in the dictionary, you may just see a pic of me with a huge smile licking my chops. Just about every meal I eat contains meat of some sort, but there are days when I feel “dirty inside” and must skip the meats altogether. Today is such a day! I had this bundle of bodi sitting in the fridge a few days now and originally I was going to cook it with salted cod, but I decided to go full vegetarian with this one instead.

You’ll Need…

1 bundle of bodi (about 1 lb)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 medium tomato diced
1/4 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1/4 cup water for cooking curry
1 1/2 cup water
2 medium potato diced.
dash of black pepper

Notes:

Bodi – If you live outside the Caribbean, it can be found in West Indian food markets as well as Asian groceries. In the Asian stores it may be called “Yard bean, long bean, Chinese long bean, snake bean, pea bean”. If you can’t get bodi, a good substitute is green or french beans.

The scotch bonnet or Habanero is optional, but adds that unique island twist to this dish. feel free to use any spicy pepper you like instead.

I like using traditional Caribbean curry powder as I find that it’s much different than the curry that comes out of India/Asia. If you can, get one that’s
made in Trinidad and Tobago.. leave me a message if you’d like some recommendations.

Get started by trimming the bodi into the size we need. Remove the ends of the bean and discard (about 1/8 inch on both ends), then cut into one inch pieces. I remember my mom doing this as a kid and still prefer to snap them as she would do, rather than cut with a knife. But it’s much faster cutting with a knife. Then peel the potato and place in the same bowl as the trimmed bodi and rinse off with cool water and drain. Have the onion, garlic and pepper ready.

trini curry bodi

trini curry bodi (2)

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In a fairly deep sauce pan, heat the oil over medium/high heat, then add 1/2 of the onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper and allow to cook for a couple minutes (till ends start going brown). Now add the curry powder and black pepper and stir (turn down the heat a little to allow this to cook for 3-4 minutes without burning). It will become grainy and go dark, that is natural. Now add the 1/4 cup of water (the room will explode with a wonderful scent or bloomed curry) and bring it up to a boil and allow it to cook until that liquid burns off (about 4 minutes).

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trini curry bodi (5)

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When the liquid burns off (like a curry paste) it’s time to start adding the other ingredients. Add the bodi, potato and the rest of the onion and give it a good stir. Then add the salt and the 1 1/4 cups water, bring that to a boil by turning up the heat, then lower it to a gentle simmer. Make sure the lid is slightly ajar and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

trini curry bodi (8)

trini curry bodi (9)

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After 20 minutes of simmering the potato and bodi should be tender, but there may still be a bit runny liquid, so we’ll now turn up the heat to burn that off. But first, add the diced tomato and cook for about 5 minutes. Typically this dish does not have much of a sauce or gravy, but I like a little gravy to eat my roti… my choice. If you’d like to give this another level of flavor to what is an already exciting dish, you can add some coconut milk.

trini curry bodi (11)

trini curry bodi (12)

trini curry bodi (13)

If you’re looking for a step by step roti recipe, use the search box on the right side of the page. I think there’s 3 different recipes for roti posted so far. Before you go, show me some love by leaving a comment below and don’t forget to join us on Facebook – click on image on the upper right side of this page.

Eggs In a Classic Curry Sauce.

May 28, 2025November 13, 201044 Comments

trinidad curry eeg and aloo (12)

This is really known as “curry eggs” and when potato is added it’s called “curry eggs and aloo”, but I just had to give it a more dignified name. For those of you who’ve never had this, you’re probably debating the use of eggs in a curry, but trust me – it’s wonderful. After posting a teaser on the facebook fan page it was clear that quite a few people (even those from the islands) have never experienced this dish. Some had reservations about the eggs and curry combination, while others raved about how tasty a meal this can be. I have to agree with the tasty verdict.

You’ll Need…

4 boiled eggs
1/2 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced thin (or crushed)
1/2 tomato sliced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 scallion
dash of black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (I used habanero)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
salt to taste (less than 1/4 teaspoon)

* When using hot peppers you can minimize the heat factor by not using the seeds.

*NOTE! You’ll notice that I placed this post within the vegetarian section. I did some research online and found that some vegetarians do eat eggs and dairy, so to avoid any nasty emails and comments… if you’re a vegetarian and don’t partake in eggs please accept my apologies for posting this within this section. Sadly, I do receive hate mail for simple things like this.

Prepare the onion, hot pepper, garlic, scallion and tomato and set aside. Then put the eggs to boil. Here’s a tip I got from Caron when she makes her pasta salad and boils eggs – you’ll get perfectly boiled eggs every time. Put the eggs to boil on a medium to high flame (cover eggs with cold water and bring to a boil), then as soon as it comes to a vigorous boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it stand in there for 10-12 minutes.

trinidad curry eeg and aloo (2)

trinidad curry eeg and aloo

Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium/high heat, then add the sliced onion and garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes. Until they go soft, release their aromatic oils and stars to brown on the edges. Then turn down the heat to medium /low and add the curry powder and slices of hot pepper (if you need some good madras curry powder, check out the store – where you can find tons of Caribbean goodies) and stir. Allow this to cook for about 3-4 minutes, so the curry won’t have a “raw” taste to it.

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trinidad curry eeg and aloo (5)

The next step is to add the water and give it a good stir and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Then add the slices of tomato and scallion and top off with the eggs. Cut the eggs in half before adding and be very gentle at this point forward, since the eggs will fall apart easily. Add the salt and black pepper at this point as well.

trinidad curry eeg and aloo (6)

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trinidad curry eeg and aloo (8)

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On low heat, cover the pot and allow to cook for abut 4-5 minutes, so the sauce thickens and all the flavors get a chance to marry together. If you find that the sauce is a bit runny, cook for an extra minute or two with the pot uncovered.

trinidad curry eeg and aloo (10)

trinidad curry eeg and aloo (12)

I usually enjoy this with roti and/or fry bake (see the recipe search tool on the top right side of the page for those recipes), but it’s just as tasty on a bun (sandwich), with sliced bread or any other way you enjoy your curry. Probably makes a great topping for rice, but my thing is roti.

Don’t forget to leave me your comments below, even if it’s just to say hi – it’s appreciated! And before you go I’d like to remind you to connect with me on facebook and twitter using the links on the right side of the page. This is where you’ll also be able to view the cooking videos I’ve created and the collection of pictures I’ve put together for your viewing pleasure.

Vegetarian

Saheena With Green Mango Chutney.

March 5, 2012November 4, 201017 Comments

saheena recipe trinidad My mouth waters just typing the title of this post. I fondly recall my childhood days on the islands around Divali (I was told it’s Diwali by and Indian programmer who works for me) time when we would go down the road to my mom’s cousins’ house for goodies on Divali night. I grew up in a Catholic home, but as the norm in Trinidad and Tobago we celebrate everyone religious festivals equally. How I wish the youths of today could experience that oneness and innocence I enjoyed those years ago. Back in those days all I looked forward to was the roti, curry channa with potato, pholourie and of course, saheena. I was never into the “sweets” , but my brother and sisters did do some damage when the sweets tray came around.

Here’s a simple recipe for making saheena, but not in the traditional size it’s usually made into. I refer to these as saheena balls and they work great as an appetizer or quick snack when you’re looking for something a bit different to munch on.

You’ll Need…

1/2 cup split peas powder (like flour)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bunch spinach (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon roasted geera powder (cumin)
1/4 teaspoon amchar massala (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (aka saffron on the islands)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 clove of garlic
2-3 cups vegetable oil for frying

For the mango chutney

1 green mango
4-6 leaves of shado beni
1 hot pepper (scotch bonnet or habanero)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

Note: I used baby spinach in this recipe, but traditionally dasheen leaves (young or soft ones) are used. It’s almost impossible to source those in my location.

Let’s get the dough ready as it needs about 2 hours to rest before we can starting frying. Rinse the spinach leaves and roll into little bundles and slice very thinly. As thin as you can. Then I put about 3 cups of water to boil in the kettle and sort of blanch the spinach to somewhat pre-cook it. I put the thinly sliced spinach in a strainer and pour the boiling water over it and allow it to drain off.

making saheena

recipe for saheena

Then in a large bowl, place the flour, split peas powder, salt, turmeric, geera, amchar massala, flour, grate or crush fine – the garlic, baking powder, instant yeast and squeeze out as much liquid you can from the blanched spinach and add it to the bowl as well. Then add the water and mix into a smooth dough. After everything is fully incorporated, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours.

making trinidad saheena

mixing dough for saheena

recipe saheena trinidad

saheena mixture

After the 2 hours of resting, the yeast will activate and the dough will double in size. Now heat the oil in a deep pot or pan on medium/high heat. Traditionally your hands are used to scoop and drop the dough balls into the hot oil, but here’s a safer method. Using 2 table spoons, scoop out a spoon full of batter and then using the second spoon as a sort of scraper, scrape off the dough into the hot oil. If you find that the dough is going brown fast, turn down the heat a bit as you want it to cook for about 4-5 minutes, so the insides cook evenly as well. Be sure the pot or pan you’re using is not too wide, so the oil is nice and deep – will allow for even cooking and nicely shaped saheena balls.

After 4-5 minutes (I move them around while frying) I place them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil from the frying process. You may be tempted to eat a couple as they come out of the pot, but I would advise against doing so. They will be piping hot!

trini saheena

how to make saheena

how to fry saheena

saheena recipe

Here’s a very simple recipe for a quick mango chutney to use as a dipping sauce for these wonderful saheena balls (you’ll notice that it’s very similar to the original mango chutney recipe I posted a while back)…

In a food processor or blender place all the ingredients I mentioned above and puree into an even consistency. Make sure you get a green mango (one that’s not ripe) and then remove the skin, then remove slices of the flesh to use. Discard the seed.

Do taste for salt at the end and if you find that it’s still sour or tart, add a dash of sugar to the mix to help balance it off.

mango chutney

making trini mango chutney

trini mango chutney

This chutney can remain for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge, in the event you’re wondering. What are you all waiting for? Give this one a try, it’s very tasty and I’m sure your friends will be amazed at how appetizing these are at the next staff pot luck. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below – even if it’s just to say hello. It’s appreciated. And while you’re at it, why not join us on facebook? Click on the image below.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

The Ultimate Pepper Sauce Recipe.

May 28, 2025October 5, 2010260 Comments

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (10)

With the abundance of hot peppers I had in my garden this summer, you may have noticed that there are several recipes recently dedicated to the most classic of Caribbean condiments… pepper sauce (hot sauce). If you look at the very bottom of this post, there should be some links to some of the spicy sauces I’ve shared recently that I encourage you to try. As I’ve pointed out in the past, just about everyone on the islands swears that their pepper sauce is the best! Be it the heat, uniqueness of the ingredients used or overall flavor. Here’s one that follows most of the common principles of making a good pepper sauce, with a few personal ingredients I like to add. Be warned that this is very HOT!

You’ll Need…

15-20 hot peppers (scotch bonnet or habanero)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vinegar
10 leaves of Shado Beni or 1 cup cilantro
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 small green papaya
1 small bitter melon (caraili)
1 lemon or 2 ripe limes
Juice of 4 limes
8 pimento peppers – optional
1 carrot – optional (helps to balance heat from peppers)

Some notes:

a. u include the seeds of the pepper for added heat
b. add more vinegar if you like it less thick.
c. remember to remove the seeds from the lemon after cubing.

Are You A WINNER? Before we get to the recipe, I’d like to invite you to participate in this month’s contest immediately after the recipe.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe

I start off by rough chopping the shado beni, papaya and bitter melon to make it easier to puree in the food processor (remember to peel and remove the seeds from the papaya as well as the bitter melon – you don’t have to peel the bitter melon). I remove the skin off the garlic as well to have it prepped.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (2)

I then slice and cube the lemon and remove any seeds that I see.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (3)

I highly suggest you wear gloves for the next few steps, as the peppers can cause some pain if you handle them with your bare hands. I then remove the stems off the peppers and give them a rough chop. I retain all the seeds, but if want a milder sauce, do remove the seeds.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (4)

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (5)

Now that I have everything prepped, it’s time to bring out the vintage (old) blender and put it to use. Basically all you’re doing is adding everything listed in the ingredients list to the blender or food processor and puree it until it’s a smooth consistency.You may need to add more vinegar as I pointed out above.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (6)

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (7)

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (8)

IMPORTANT : the amount of ingredients you’re seeing in the pictures above is not what I mentioned in the ingredient list. I’m making a bigger batch, but follow along with the ingredients I listed and you’ll be set. You’ll also notice that due to the big batch I’m making that I have a lot of bottles of finished sauce. You’ll have enough for one bottle when done.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (9)

Pour into a clean, dry bottle and store. It should be fine outside the fridge since we used vinegar, but you can certainly keep it in the fridge so it will last longer. Bear in mind that by placing it in the fridge, it will loose some of it’s heat. This is the batch I got when I was done. I have some lucky friends who’ll have their hands on the Ultimate Pepper Sauce when I see them next.

trinidad grind peppersauce recipe (11)

The CONTEST!

Win a copy of Hot and Spicy Kitchen Handbook: 200 Sizzling Step-by-Step Recipes for Cuisine and Fiery Local Dishes from India, Mexico, Thailand and Every Spicy Corner of the World

As with other contests I’ve posted on the site before, it’s free to participate. Here’s how…

1. Post a response in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered into the draw.

2. For an added chance to win (get your name in the pool two times). Head over to the Cooking channel and leave a comment on the “The Ultimate Fried Chicken Recipe” and I will then add your name a 2nd time and give you an extra chance at winning. Say whatever you like (even hello) and that will qualify you for a 2nd time (providing you’ve already left a comment here). Here again is the direct link to the >>>> cooking channel.

The contest is open from today (Oct 5) to October 31, 2010. Then all the names will be entered into a pot and 1 winner chosen. I will then contact that winner so I can send them the prize ( I will also cover all shipping expenses). So good luck and do give the pepper sauce recipe posted above, a try.

Don’t forget to join us on facebook by clicking on the image below.

Vegetarian

Aloo Choka, A Unique Twist On Garlic Mashed Potato.

March 5, 2012September 24, 201026 Comments

trini aloo choka

In true Caribbean style, we have our own twist on the classic North American dish, garlic mashed potato. If you’re new to the site or you’re not familiar with the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago (and wherever else in the Caribbean where there’s an Indian influence), aloo is just another word for potato. I fell in love with garlic mash when I first moved to North America many moons ago and it’s one of those sides I always get whenever we go out for a steak dinner. Maybe it’s one of those things I connected with, that reminded of the Aloo Choka I enjoyed as a boy.

Though they’re pretty similar, the aloo choka is a bit more explosive when it hits your taste buds, as the garlic is raw and not roasted as in garlic mash and the extreme heat (you can control this of course) from the habanero or scotch bonnet peppers adds a new dimension to the overall dish.

You’ll need…

4 large potatoes
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1/4 green hot pepper (I used habanero)

* Optional – Add 1 clove sliced garlic to the oil heating process.

Peel, wash and cut in halves the potatoes, then place in a deep pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (when a fork or knife can go through them without any resistance). While this boils… in a bowl, place the garlic, salt and hot pepper and crush to a smooth paste.

aloo choka

making trinidad aloo choka

I like using a green hot pepper as the flavor is a bit different than a fully ripe one. Plus the green specks in the finished dish give sit some character. After the potato is cooked, drain and add to the bowl with the crushed garlic, pepper and salt. Then mash the entire batch until it’s smooth and free of any lumps.

trini aloo choka

With the use of salt in the pepper paste we made, there wasn’t any use for salt when you’re boiling the potato. But do check at the end in the event you need to add additional salt (depends on your taste). The final 2 steps are to… top with the thin slices of onion (don’t mix or stir)

recipe for aloo choka

Heat the oil until it’s hot (just about to smoke), then pour the oil directly onto the slices of onion on top of the mashed potato. This will semi cook the onion and most importantly it will release some of the distinct onion flavours into the bowl. Now give everything a good stir and serve.

heating oil for aloo choka

aloo choka trinidad recipe

Here it is with some curry stew chicken and sada roti.

recipe for trini aloo choka

Note: Traditionally I’ve seen people add a clove of garlic (sliced thin) into the frying pan with the hot oil to cook for a minute, before adding to the bowl with the mashed potato. But that gives it a bit of a smokey taste that I’m not a huge fan off.

ENJOY! Don’t forget to leave your comments below – it’s appreciated (even if you just to say hello) and don’t forget to join us on Facebook by clicking on the image below.

Ground Provisions Exposed.

Curry Bodi With Potato A Vegetarian Delight.

Eggs In a Classic Curry Sauce.

Saheena With Green Mango Chutney.

The Ultimate Pepper Sauce Recipe.

Aloo Choka, A Unique Twist On Garlic Mashed Potato.

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