Day dreaming of warm tropical breezes, palm trees and white sandy
beaches. My toes curling in the sand, a drink in my hand and the warmth of the
sun bathing down on my skin. One would wonder why someone would move and
subject themselves to the harsh icy conditions of the North. I have no idea, but
I did and it is in times like these that I do so long for the days of eating
a delicious meal that is both tasty and with the added Caribbean blend of spices and seasonings. Even
better than that is the fact that I would not have to make it myself but c’est la
vie, it is not to be. Some of the dishes that I love are American with a Caribbean
twist when we add de spice. Lucky for me I love to experiment. I won’t say
I love to cook but I do love dabbling in the variety of flavors that this earth
has to offer.
The first dish that I would like to introduce you to is called CHOKA.
It is a very simple dish and healthy I might add, made either from tomatoes or eggplant also know in Trinidad as Melongene or Baigan.
CHOKA Recipe
2 to 3 Tomatoes
3 sprigs Culantro
Also known as Shadow Benny or Bandania in Trinidad and is
stronger than Cilantro but taste just like it.
2 to 3 Cloves of Garlic
1 small Onion
1 Habanero Pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp of Oil
Salt to taste (Garlic salt can also be substituted in place of salt)
Stick a fork in the tomatoes and roast on the fire till the outer skin is
burnt. You can also boil the tomatoes in a sauce pan with very little water for a milder taste.
This is usually eaten with Sada Roti or Coconut Bake but today I toasted tortillas in a sauce pan with butter and it tasted just as good.
3 sprigs Culantro
Also known as Shadow Benny or Bandania in Trinidad and is
stronger than Cilantro but taste just like it.
2 to 3 Cloves of Garlic
1 small Onion
1 Habanero Pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp of Oil
Salt to taste (Garlic salt can also be substituted in place of salt)
Black Pepper to taste
qtr. tsp of sugar to taste
qtr. tsp of Cumin (Geera) optional
Method:
Cut the onion and Culantro very small.
qtr. tsp of sugar to taste
qtr. tsp of Cumin (Geera) optional
Method:
Cut the onion and Culantro very small.
Stick a fork in the tomatoes and roast on the fire till the outer skin is
burnt. You can also boil the tomatoes in a sauce pan with very little water for a milder taste.
Crush the tomatoes in a bowl with a potato masher or a fork.
Add the Culantro and onions to the bowl.
In a small sauce pan or metal ladle add oil, garlic and geera.
Roast on the fire till the garlic is black. This gives the oil the flavor of roasted garlic.
Pour the oil over the onions, culantro and tomatoes in the bowl.
Cut up the habanero pepper into small pieces and add to the dish.
Add salt, black pepper and sugar to taste.
This is usually eaten with Sada Roti or Coconut Bake but today I toasted tortillas in a sauce pan with butter and it tasted just as good.
Everyone can cook if they choose to. If your first attempt is not a 10...don't give up, try again.
Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask questions.
Until my next blog...keep adding de spice!
Love this blog
ReplyDeleteHouston Bomber sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteI honestly cannot see any errors in your blog. It’s right on point and covers all the bases. Your use of the images to help establish the message you want to transmit was fantastic. They were very colorful and in all you probably could have just used the images without any text to tell someone how to make Tomato Choka.
ReplyDeleteYour title was excellent and caught my attention right way so it will also draw additional attention from others. You wrote for a very specific audience just like the Content Marketing Institute suggest. One thing I noticed is that there is a recommendations from Ten Principles of Blogging to speak in a language that everyone can understand. For me it was an easy translation because of my ethnicity but many others may find it too difficult to understand the West Indian broken English that we are so accustom to.
Over all I do love it and will attempt making it soon. I have not made it in years.
Work Cited.
Ten Principles of Blogging. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/stonerm/Ten Principles of BloggingRevised.html
What Makes a Good Blog Post? 10 Tips for Corporate Bloggers. (2011, October 11). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/10-tips-for-corporate-bloggers/
I LOVE spicy food. My mouth immediately began to water at the sight of the Habenero pepper.
ReplyDeleteYour introduction served as a useful way to show the reader how you came to know this dish. In any recipe blog I like to feel that the author knows something about said dish, which clearly you do.
The blog is well formatted and relatively easy to read, however, I'm someone who prefers a more straightforward font as it is a bit less dizzying.
As someone who is lacking in the cooking department, I appreciate the use of images. It helps the reader feel comfortable in knowing what they're supposed to buy to make a dish.
Not many complaints here. Despite saying you don't love to cook, you're obviously knowledgeable and at least somewhat passionate about what you wrote which gives the reader the comfort and trust often required to gain a following.
-Robert Daniels
Work Cited:
16 Rules of Blog Writing and Layout. Which Ones Are You Breaking?
http://www.successfulblogging.com/16-rules-of-blog-writing-which-ones-are-you-breaking/