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trinidad and tobago recipes

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Holiday Recipes Vegetarian

Trini Chow Chow Recipe.

7 Comments on Trini Chow Chow Recipe.

I have to confess that as a kid growing up on the islands, we never had chow chow with our Christmas ham. However, the variety of ‘pepper sauce” (hot sauce) mom would always have in the kitchen, was all we ever needed. Well that, some soy sauce and ketchup (wicked combo..trust me). In some parts of the Trinidad and Tobago it’s customary to have chow chow, which is somewhat like the cross between a relish and pickle with their slices of holiday ham. With all the requests I’ve been getting on the facebook fan page, I decided to share this traditional chow chow recipe with you all, just in time for the Christmas season.

You’ll Need…

I cup carrot
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup green beans *
2 cups sweet peppers (bell peppers..red and green)
1 cup onion *
1 cup zucchini *
6 pimento peppers (aka seasoning peppers)
15 cloves
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons turmeric*
3 1/2 cups vinegar
3 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon grated ginger

Notes: You’ll need salt and water to form a brine for soaking the vegetables overnight. I used green beans, but traditionally bodi or yard beans are used. Typically a cooking onion would work, but I used a white/sweet onion. The zucchini is not traditional to this recipe, but as I opened the fridge this morning… it started screaming “me! me! me!” so in the pot it went.Turmeric is what we call sorfran in Trinidad and Tobago. If you can’t source the pimento peppers, opt for any pepper with flavor and not heat.

The first step is to dice the vegetables into tiny pieces and soak them overnight in a simple brine. Please try to cut all the vegetables the same size.

Then place all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add the salt (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and cover with water. Be sure to mix well so the salt dissolves and store overnight.

The next day it’s time to put this chow chow recipe together. In a large pot, place the vinegar, turmeric, sugar, mustard, ginger, cloves and corn starch, whisk as you bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Do remember to keep whisking.

Now strain this liquid to remove the cloves and any lumps and return back to the pot on medium heat. Drain the vegetables and add to the pot.

Give everything a good stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a rolling boil/simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes of until it thickens up like a relish.

Do remember to stir every few minutes so everything gets incorporated well with each other for that perfectly blended chow chow. It will thicken up further as it cools, so try to keep that in mind. Store in clean glass bottles in the fridge or preserve (store in sterilize glass containers while hot) as you would normally do with summer fruits.

I’ve put some aside for testing as a relish with grilled hot dogs and sausages next summer when it’s grilling season. But for now.. it’s all about chow chow and ham this Christmas morning.

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

Stewed Lentils Caribbean Style.

35 Comments on Stewed Lentils Caribbean Style.

trinidad stew lentils recipe (13)This recipe is very similar to the Red Kidney Beans one I did a couple weeks ago, except we’re using dried lentils. Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. I usually make lentils in batches, so I could enjoy some that day and freeze the rest for later use, especially since it takes a while to cook if you don’t have a pressure cooker. I’ve had frozen stewed lentils last up to 3 months in the freezer and once reheated it tastes the same as the day it was first cooked.

Now don’t get “tie-up” (confused) by this being a vegetarian dish and think it lacks flavour… trust me this one will be a hit for one and all. I love this so much, I even have it as a soup… but that’s when I add salted meats to it while cooking 🙂

You’ll Need…

2 cups of lentils (I used the small brown/green ones)
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
hot pepper (as much as you like) I used a small habanero
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
water (see in directions)
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean style “browning”
2 table spoon chopped shado beni or cilantro
1 scallion (diced thin)
1/2 tablespoon Golden Ray butter (optional, but adds that true island flavour so I could not leave this out)

You can also add the following ingredients during the slow cooking process to add a bit more body and flavour to the dish.

2 carrots diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 tomato diced

Get started by going through the lentils to ensure that there’s nothing foreign between it (I’ve seen little pebbles and twigs at times). Then pour the lentils into a bowl and wash with cool water (drain), after which I add enough water to the bowl to cover the lentils and allow to soak for a couple hours (overnight is best).

trinidad stew lentils recipe

The next step is to pour the lentils and water into a deep pot and add additional water so everything is covered by at least 2 inches of water. Place the pot onto a medium heat, add the garlic, hot pepper, salt, thyme and if you’re using the additional ingredients, now is the time to add them. Don’t forget to add the black pepper as well. Bring this to a boil, then cover and reduce to heat to low so it simmers. Allow this to cook for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

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After the lentils are tender (pay attention to the water level as you don’t want it to get too thick or all the water to burn off…. add a cup is you find that it’s starting to get overly thick) Get another pot and add the oil to it under medium heat, then add the sliced onions and cook for a couple minutes. Basically until it’s soft and start getting golden edges. Then (gently – we’re adding liquid to hot oil) add the cooked lentils to the pot (pour in everything).

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Get a whisk or as I did with a swizzle stick, whisk everything to break down the lentils a bit… then add the browning, scallions, shado beni or cilantro and Goldenray butter and stir around. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes and then you’re done. Don’t forget to fish out the twig from the thyme before serving. You’re looking for a thick, soup-like consistency.

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This is awesome as a side for rice dishes (must have stew chicken, beef or pork as well)  and I also like scoping with pita bread or roti as well.. plus as I mentioned earlier, it’s good as a simple soup as well. Don’t forget to leave me your comments below and remember to connect with us on facebook by clicking on the image below.

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