caribbean

While I’ve been told that our grandmother’s (maternal) version of this dish was unmatched, I’m sure she would be pleased with the excellent job I’m doing with this simplified take on a classic vegan dish from Trinidad and Tobago.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs eddoes
4 cloves garlic (chopped or smashed)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 green Scotch Bonnet pepper (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
water

Notes! If doing this dish gluten free, may I recommend that you go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I also recommend that you watch the video below as I explain how to choose and peel eddoes and why it’s IMPORTANT that you wear gloves or coat your hands with oil before you handle them.

Peel, wash and cut the eddoes.

Heat the oil (your choice of oil) on a medium flame in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and black pepper. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 2-3 minutes.

It’s time to add the scotch bonnet pepper. I used an entire green one (not mature) as the heat level and flavor is somewhat unique. Should you prefer to leave out the “heat” element, you’re free to do so or use in amounts you can tolerate.

After about 2 minutes after adding the scotch bonnet pepper, it’s time to add the eddoes to the pot and stir well.

Add the salt and Caribbean green seasoning, followed by water and bring to a boil (turn the heat up). You need to add enough water to completely cover everything.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for between 20 and 25 minutes. The eddoes will start to break down and the sauce will thicken. Here’s where you’ll decide (once the eddoes are fully cooked – SOFT) how thick you want the gravy or sauce and adjust the salt to your liking.

I must admit that it’s not a pretty dish (maybe this explains why I was never a fan of it as a lil fella on the islands), however the flavor from such a simple dish is very surprising. I know the question on your mind is “what do we eat this with?” For me it’s got to be hot (thin) Sada Roti.

So what makes this version differ from my mom and her mom? Salted Cod! They both add flaked salted cod (say saltfish) along with the onion and garlic at the start.

Chorai Bhagi (Jamaican Callaloo) With Stewed Chicken.

May 29, 2025July 27, 2023Leave a Comment

Important! (save the hate)… I posted this recipe within the “Vegetarian” category as well. As explained in the video below, you may leave out the stewed chicken should you prefer for a fully vegan/vegetarian dish. With an abundance of Chorai Bhagi (aka, Jamaican Callaloo or Spinach) in my garden this year, naturally I could could not allow any to go to waste.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs Chorai Bhagi (prepared)
1 medium onion (sliced)
7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon pure coconut cream
Leftover Stewed Chicken (Caribbean style)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. I used scotch bonnet pepper in the recipe, but you can leave it out should SPICY not be your thing. Additionally, you can use any spicy pepper you like or can access. Should you wish to add some diced tomato to the dish, it will add a lovely subtle flavor to things.

Wash and trim the leaves off the stems (I didn’t use any stems this time, but you can), then roll the Chorai into bundles you can handle and cut into ribbons 1 centimeter thick.

Heat the oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, then add the prepared Choria Bhagi to the pot and stir well.

Add the salt, black pepper, garlic and onion. Stir well!

It’s now time to add the coconut cream and scotch bonnet pepper should you decide to have the dish with a kick. Yes I kept the seeds.. trim off the seeds and white membrane around the seeds to control some of the heat (discard).

Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such HOT pepper.

Place the lid on the pot and cook for 10 minutes. It will wilt and lessen in amounts.

Add the leftover Stewed Chicken, stir well and place the lid back on for another 5 minutes.

Here’s when you personalize things to your liking. Taste and adjust the salt and you need to decide if it’s as ‘cooked’ as you like. In my case I removed the lid and cooked it for a further 3 minutes to burn off the liquid at the bottom of the pot.

Luckily I had some Sada Roti in the fridge my mom sent us home with the last time we visited, but it’s also EXCELLENT with Rice or dumplings.

Seafood

Stewed Saltfish With Okra And Cabbage.

June 15, 2023May 25, 2023Leave a Comment

Another version of this CLASSIC Caribbean dish – Stewed saltfish! In this adaptation we’ll add chopped cabbage and a few ochroes (Okra) for additional body and flavor, as my grandma would. As a lil fella growing up on the islands, I had no luv for salted Cod (fish) and to be honest I’m sure my siblings and I gave mom hell whenever she would cook with it. However as I grew older I found that I truly appreciate how it can stand on it’s own and/or how much flavor it can add to dishes.

You’ll Need…

1/2 lb Salted Cod (prepared)
4 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium onion (sliced)
4-5 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 bird’s eye pepper (optional)
2 tomatoes (diced)
8-10 small okra (trimmed)
1/2 small cabbage (rough chop)
2 scallions (chopped)

salt (see note below)

I purchased boned (bones removed) Salted Cod, but as I prepared it, I did pay attention for any bones which may still be present (remove).

I’d recommend preparing all of the ingredients first. In the case of the Salted Cod (any salted fish you decide to use), you can watch this video How To Prepare Salted Cod For Use. Basically you need to rehydrate it and during the process, remove most of the salt it was cured with.

With the okra, I trimmed off the stems and sliced the larger ones down the middle. Heat a wide saucepan on a medium heat, then add the oil, onion, garlic, black pepper, thyme and hot pepper (should you decide to use any – any hot pepper you like or have on hand will work). As you get a sizzle going, turn the heat down to low.

After about 4 minutes on that low heat, add the prepared Salted Cod to the mix and stir well. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium (so it comes up to a boil) now and add the tomato, cabbage and okra to the pot. Stir well to combine and coat everything with that delicious flavored oil we created. Cover the pot if you have a lid large enough and allow it to cook on a medium/low flame.

SALT! I did not add any salt to this dish as the remining salt in the salted Cod was enough for my liking, but I’d recommend tasting near the end and adjust accordingly.

Basically at this point all you need to do is cook the okra to your liking and you’re done. I gave it 6-7 minutes after adding the cabbage and okra. Top it with the scallions and turn off the heat. The residual heat will heat up the scallion and give it a lovely finishing note. This day I had this stewed saltfish with boiled eddoes and dasheen… my idea of comfort food.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Sauces & Condiments

How To Make Scotch Bonnet Pepper Flakes.

May 28, 2025January 24, 20214 Comments

With an abundance of peppers from my garden at the end of every Summer, this method of preserving them for the COLD winter months is one of my go-to tasks. On average I grow at least 5-8 varieties of the hottest peppers in the world every year in my small Canadian garden.. such is my luv for heat! Now I pointed out “Canadian” garden as I know most people associate growing such peppers in tropical countries.

You’ll Need…

Peppers (choice is yours what you use”

IMPORTANT: Oven drying slowly dehydrates food at around 140 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit (60 – 100 degrees Celsius). In the event you don’t have access to a food dehydrator, feel free to use your oven. Line baking trays with parchment paper and space out the cut peppers on them.

WARNING! Before you start, wear gloves… and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handing such hot peppers.

Wash and dry the peppers (remove the stems). Then cut each in half to make the dehydration process faster and most effective. You may remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat a bit, but as with all pepper flakes… I want seeds and everything.

Place on a single layer with a bit of space between each on the trays. I started with cut side down.

Set temp to 145 F

TIP! rotate trays – basically spin them around during the process as I found that the front was dehydrating faster that the back of the tray (poor circulation in my dehydrator maybe).

It can take up to 18 hrs to be fully dry and moisture free. However there will be some which will finish faster, so you can remove those (use gloves or tongs) and set aside.

Basically all you have to do now is place them in your food processor and PULSE until they break down to the size flakes you like. WARNING! Be mindful that these are HOT peppers and the dust etc will want to cause you to choke.