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.
