This recipe is a staple side dish of mine that I’ve adapted and modified at length through the years. Both colorful and flavourful I think it creates a texturally interesting background for spicy curries and other East Indian flavoured entrees. Why not try it with Tridoshic Dal, Coconut Chicken Curry, or Vegetable Curry in a Hurry?

Coconut Rice with Lentils and Cashews

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon urad dhal or brown lentils
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon madras curry powder
2 ounces fresh coconut, grated
1 ounce unsalted roasted cashews
salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
2. Bring 2 cups lightly salted water to the boil in a large pan.
3. Add the rice, bring back to the boil and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Drain and return to the pan, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. In a small pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until the seeds start to pop.
6. Add the lentils, red pepper flakes and curry powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are golden.
7. Stir in the coconut and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

This post was originally published October 6, 2009. It has been updated twice since then.

My mother first made this recipe in 2008 and it was a hit! Plantain is rarely showcased this formally on dinner tables and it really is a shame. In this case, lengths of ripe plantain are oven-baked with orange juice and zest. The result is creamy, with a slightly caramelized exterior.

My personal suggestions with this recipe are to 1) make sure the plantain is adequately ripe i.e. that the skin has become almost completely black. The dish isn’t as appealing when the plantain is too firm. Similarly, rather than topping it with orange zest (as suggested by the recipe), try topping it with some additional brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. The orange zest can tend to get bitter in the oven so keep an eye on it, and make sure that you avoid including any of the white pith. Of course, play around to suit your own personal preferences. Even as I am typing this I am thinking that maybe a blend of zest and sugar may be the perfect compromise. Either way, the results are very Caribbean Glam!

Plaintain (or Moko) Baked In Orange Juice
Source: Naparima Girls High School Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe plantains or moko
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/2 tsp salt

METHOD:
1. Peel and slice plantain in any way one prefers, lengthwise or crosswise
2. Place in a greased baking dish
3. Mix juice, honey, rind and salt
4. Pour over plantain
5. Bake at 350F until nicely browned and cooked (15-20 minutes)

Note: Sweet potatoes could also be done in this way. Parboil potatoes, peel and slice in dish, pour syrup over and bake until potatoes are cooked (25-30 minutes)

This post was originally published April 2, 2009. It has been updated once since then.

Last month I was invited to participate in the blogging collective “Kwanzaa Culinarians“. Linking writers throughout the African diaspora it includes such heavyweights as Chef Bryant Terry, as well as known foodies like Sanura of “My Life Runs On Food“, Courtney of “Coco Cooks” and Chrystal & Amir of “The Duo Dishes“. Needless to say, I took it as quite a compliment to be included and didn’t hesitate to confirm my willingness to ‘rep’ our region!

Like many of the participants, I had little prior knowledge of Kwanzaa. My assignment of “Umoja” was a journey of not only self-reflection but also deeper research into what the festival embodies for today’s celebrants. I invite you to take a look at my essay which also includes my recipe for ‘Ochro Rice’.

Excerpt:
The idea of a regularly shared dining space with family and loved ones may seem archaic or impractical in today’s fast-paced world, however I think the need for emotional and intellectual connection, ‘breaking bread’, is something that Umoja seeks to highlight. Although in some ways we are more connected than ever before (Facebook, Twitter), these tools often reduce us to ‘surface sharers’, something that communal mealtime seeks to eliminate.

Few things are as healing and unifying as truly hearing another person’s story. I have found that in front of an array of good food and drink generation gaps can dissolve, romance can be rekindled, and cordial acquaintances often discover previously unknown commonalities. As we prepare meals together, and sit and share, we strengthen our homes. As we make more educated food choices we create a ripple effect that strengthens and nourishes our communities.

Read the rest…

While you are there do take in some of the past essays and recipes as well. There’s nothing like combining food for the mind with, well… actual food!

Visit Kwanzaa Culinarians on Facebook
Follow Kwanzaa Culinarians on Twitter

In the mood for more Ochro Recipes? Check out my Fried Okras and Spicy Ochro Melée!

Whether you call it melongene, eggplant, aubergine or garden egg, you’re referring to one of my favorite ingredients. And when you are talking about Stuffed Melongene you are definitely referring to one of my favorite dishes. It’s such a favorite that my mother makes it for me every birthday. I look forward to it more than the cake!

Creamy, buttery, chewy on the outside from the charred skin, and sweet on top from the ketchup, my mother’s recipe to me is close to the ultimate comfort food If you wanted to turn this into a vegetarian favorite I would simply use more breadcrumbs or christophene (cho cho/chayote) in place of the meat or any leftover chopped vegetables.

Stuffed Melongene

1 large melongene (eggplant/aubergine/garden egg)
1 cup cooked minced meat
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
3 tbs margarine or olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Wash melongenes and cut off head.
2. Halve lengthwise
3. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for about 20 minutes
4. Place melongene halves, skin-side up in a large pot.
5. Pour enough water to barely cover the melongene slices
6. Cover pot and steam until tender
7. Scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell
8. Dice pulp and cook in margarine/olive oil in a covered pan over low heat for about 15 minutes
9. Remove from heat and mix with the rest of the ingredients
10. Spoon mixture into melongene ‘shells’.
11. Place melongene shells onto a greased baking dish.
12. Drizzle with olive oil/melted margarine and then cover with ketchup
13. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com and linking back to this site

This post was originally published November 21, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

Cassava latkes, an idea so simple, so obvious, and yet so left-field, that if it wasn’t for a chance comment from Ramin Ganeshram a year ago on Twitter, I may never have thought of whipping up a batch! I had been on a cassava kick, trying to see how many uses I could find for my favourite provision, besides the tried and true. I had made Vichysoisse Creole, and Cassava porridge, and then, as it was Hanukkah, Ramin asked “Have you ever tried cassava latkes?”

Eureka! I mean why not? Cassava, like potato, is a starchy tuber. It’s a shoo-in! I immediately headed to the kitchen, grated my little heart away and half an hour later was munching on cassava latkes. In some ways I even prefer them to the traditional potato (imagines purists fainting at the very thought). Underneath the slightly sweet crispy exterior they retain that warm, slightly gooey texture that to me signals the best qualities of comfort food. Because cassava has a more neutral flavour than potatoes they respond well to slightly more aggressive seasoning, however if you prefer your latkes on the milder side that’s OK too. Serve them with the traditional sour cream, or if you like to venture to the spicier side of palate town, pair them with tamarind or mango chutney. Veni mangé!

Cassava Latkes

Makes 12 latkes

INGREDIENTS
3 cups peeled and grated cassava root (also sold as yuca and manioc)
1/2 cup grated onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbl chopped chadon beni/culantro (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

TOPPINGS
Sour cream
tamarind chutney
mango chutney

METHOD
1. For crisp latkes you want to press as much liquid out of the grated cassavas and onions as possible. You can do this by pressing them against a strainer or colander with the back of a spoon, or by wrapping them in a clean dish tower (or 2 layers of paper towels) and squeezing vigorously.
2. Transfer the cassava and onion to a large bowl.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and chadon beni (if using).
4. Warm the oil on high heat in a large nonstick skillet.
5. Take 1/2 cup of batter per latke and drop into skillet.
6. Flatten with spatula.
7. Fry on both sides (about 5 min. per side) until brown and crisp.
8. Drain on paper towels.
9. Serve with suggested toppings.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com and linking back to this site

This year Hanukkah falls from sundown December 20th – December 28th. Many people know this holiday as the Jewish ‘Festival Of Lights’ however it is also often mistakenly thought of as a Jewish equivalent of Christmas causing me to field many a puzzled look when someone wishes me a Happy Hanukkah around December 25th only to be made aware that it ended quite some time ago. Although there are times (like this year) when the two festivals do overlap it isn’t a regular occurrence.

Hanukkah cuisine is marked by an abundance of fried foods, all edible testimony to the story behind the festival.

I hope you will enjoy this listing and draw some inspiration from it for your table (or for the table of a friend if you are invited to a celebration)!

DECORATING/TABLESCAPES

Hanukkah Tablescape Ideas

APPETIZERS

Curried Potato ‘mini’-Latkes
Samosas
Trinidad Sahina
Trinidad Saltfish Accra
Trinidad Pholourie

BEVERAGES

Bubbly Guava-Ginger Ale

BREADS

Poori

DESSERTS

Trinidad Black Cake
Trinidad Kurma

ENTREES

Asian Crisp-Fried Noodles and Chili Vegetables
Caramelised Onion & Anchovy Tarts
Pan-Fried Snapper with Tomato Salsa

SIDES

Fried Okras
Oven-Crisped Potato Latkes
Pesto Latkes
Cassava Latkes (above!)

This colorful and aromatic form of fried rice makes an exciting alternative to plain rice or Asian fried rices. The addition of ras-al-hanout makes it highly aromatic, and caramelized onion slices add just the right hint of sweetness.

There’s nothing like having access to fresh home-grown ingredients. Case in point, our bayleaf tree (see left). Bayleaf is one of those flavours that I find hard to describe but I can always identify it in a dish. We use the leaves both fresh and dried, e.g. in my ras-al-hanout, in chilis and also in curries. Since bay leaf was also used in this recipe I thought it would be a good subject matter for this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging (hosted this time around by Susan from FoodBlogga)

Until I started researching this post I never realized that bay leaves were what Roman laurels were made from, nor did I know that the high esteem that this plant was held in continues to this day when we call esteemed individuals ‘laureates’ or receive a college degree (baccalaureate)!

I always take the bayleaf out of the dish when I am finished cooking, but with my mother it is rather hit or miss. In her words “yuh stupid enough to eat it?” … can’t argue with no-nonsense practicality like that! Gotta love West Indian moms

Several years ago I read that the reason for removing the leaf was because it was indigestible and would kill a person if consumed Fortunately, it turns out that that is just a myth. It is removed because it is too bitter and tough to be pleasurable to the palate. Phew! Still, common sense aside, I’ll stick to removing the leaf from my dishes nevertheless

From Wikipedia:

Bay leaves are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in North America. They are used in soups, stews, meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. The leaves also flavor classic French dishes such as bouillabaise and bouillon. The leaves are most often used whole (sometimes in a bouquet garni), and removed before serving. In Indian cuisine, bay leaves are often used in biriyani.

Bay leaves can also be crushed (or ground) before cooking. Crushed bay leaves impart more of their desired fragrance than whole leaves, and there is less chance of biting into a leaf directly.

From CulinaryCafe.com

The Bay Leaf is useful in hearty, homestyle cooking. When you are making bean, split pea and vegetable soups, meat stews, spaghetti sauce, and chili, a Bay leaf can be added for a more pungent flavor. Alternate whole Bay Leaves with meat, seafood, or vegetables on skewers before cooking. Be sure to remove Bay Leaves before eating a dish that has finished cooking. The whole leaves are used to impart flavor only and are bitter and hard to chew.

Afghani Fried Brown Rice
——————————————————————————–

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups rice
5 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ras-al-hanout
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

1. Soak the rice for 15 minutes. Wash well and drain.
2. Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onions until light brown.
3. Add the ras-al-hanout and bay leaf, and sauté 5 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and let it caramelize.

4. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add salt to taste and 4 cups boiling water
6. Cook for 9-10 minutes until the rice is perfectly cooked.

This post was first published July 14, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

This latke recipe is adapted from one that I saw several years ago in EatingWell Magazine. It has become a perennial favourite and is one that will probably please latke purists/minimalists in the crowd. I particularly enjoy it with sour cream.

Technique wise this latke is started in the frying pan with a shallow fry and then is finished in the oven for a purported lighter, healthier result. The addition of matzo means that this is a denser latke to my previous curried ones and to be honest I didn’t find them any less oily than traditionally fried latkes. In my book that’s a good thing, but if oil content is something you’re watching this season you may want to keep that in mind and try the next latke recipe that will be posted tomorrow. (How’s that for a teaser? )

If you have haven’t already, you can check out my entire Hanukkah 2010 Recipe Suggestion post here. Then come back and try these latkes out !

Oven-crisped Potato Latkes
SERVINGS: 6
SOURCE: EatingWell Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ½ russet potatoes, scrubbed and shredded (about 2)
1 medium white onion, shredded
2 medium shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pieces whole-wheat matzo (6-by-6-inch), broken into pieces
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons peanut oil or extra-virgin olive oil, divided

METHOD:

1. Toss shredded potato, onion, shallots and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer to a sieve set over a large bowl; let drain for about 15 minutes. Squeeze the potato mixture, a handful at a time, over the bowl to release excess moisture (don’t oversqueeze–some moisture should remain). Transfer the squeezed potato to another large bowl. Carefully pour off the liquid, leaving a pasty white sediment–potato starch–in the bottom of the bowl. Add the starch to the potato mixture. Stir in egg.
2. Put matzo pieces in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs and pepper over the potato mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until the matzo is softened, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir the potato mixture. Cook 4 latkes per batch: place 1/4 cup potato mixture in a little of the oil and press with the back of the spatula to flatten into a 3 1/2-inch cake. Cook until crispy and golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to the prepared baking sheet. Continue with 2 more batches, using 1 tablespoon oil per batch and reducing the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Just a few words as I am writing this at 3:10 a.m.and am rapidly fading after a day of automechanical mishaps (ugh!) Ochroes are one of those ingredients that rapidly divide people into one of two camps, the love ‘ems and leave ‘ems. Well, I was hoping that this dish would be the one that could potentially convert its detractors but I suspect it won’t. However , if you are an ochro lover (such as myself) you are going to really enjoy it! Battering and frying the ochro gives it a crackly outer crust, while keeping the softer interior intact. You’ll be tempted to eat them hot out the pan, but don’t. They get even better as they sit and cool to room temperature. Their informal, slightly messy, and oily nature make them an ideal addition to my Hanukkah 2010 Menu.

This dish is easily made gluten-free by substituting pulverized rice crackers for the breadcrumbs. Parmesan crumbs and/or herbs can also be blended to the crumbs. Don’t be afraid to experiment, it’s a very flexible recipe! Season the batter well and once the ochroes are done finish everything off with a light dusting of fleur de sel for even more complexity.

Enjoy!

Fried Okras
SOURCE:Caribbean Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
1 dozen okra
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg
salt and white pepper
fat for frying
breadcrumbs and flour (pulverize rice crackers for gluten-free)

METHOD:

1. Wash okras
2. Dry them and cut in half lengthwise
3. Brush them with eggs and milk
4. Dip in crumb mixture
5. Brush and dip again
6. Let stand for about 10 minutes
7. Fry in hot shallow fat
8. Drain on kitchen towels

It may seem odd to launch my Hanukkah menu series with an Asian noodle dish, but scratch the surface and you can see that it is not that far a stretch. Hanukkah after all commemorates a miracle of oil, and this is a fried dish. Not only that, but Judaism has had a long and fascinating history in China spanning well over a thousand years!

Did it mention it also tastes great? The most intensive part of this recipe is really the prep work, which can be done well ahead of time. When you are ready to put it together, from start to finish you can be out of the kitchen and savouring the fruits of your labour within 15 minutes. Enjoy it as a vegetarian entree, or as a side to complement your main dish of choice. This is one dish that definitely doesn’t require a reason (or season) to be enjoyed!

Asian Crisp Fried Noodles and Chili Vegetables
SERVINGS: 8
Source: Adapted from a recipe of unknown origin

INGREDIENTS:

7 ounces Chinese vermicelli, cooked and drained
2 teaspoons oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 cloves garlic
2 onions, cut in thin wedges
2 red chili peppers, finely chopped
2 green peppers, cut into fine strips
2 large carrots, cut into fine strips
28 oz tin (mixed chinese vegetables – any mix with baby corn + straw mushroom), drained
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup malt vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup coriander leaves
2 teaspoons preserved chopped chili

METHOD:

1. Deep fry the chinese vermicelli in hot oil.
2. Drain on absorbent paper.
3. Place on a large serving plate and keep warm.
4. Heat the teaspoon of oil in a large pan.
5. Add the ginger, coriander and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add onion, red and green peppers and carrot. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
7. Add the corn, mushrooms soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and chilli.
8. Stir to combine and cook over a high heat for 3 minutes.
9. Spoon the vegetables over the noodles, pour over any remaining sauce.
10. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve.

This Tridoshic dal comes from a cookbook that I’ve been using for years called The Ayurvedic Cookbook.

I’m always interested in learning about the culinary traditions and philosophies of other cultures. Eastern cuisines in particular often fixates on the concept of warming and cooling foods. Maintaining a balance of the two within a meal, or strategically stimulating or calming ones system where imbalance is detected. This approach to balance and harmony has interestingly enough infused my approach to even Caribbean/Western cooking. I find myself trying to create harmony within dishes, adding cooling tomatoes when using fiery peppers for example.

According to The Ayurvedic Cookbook, all of us fall into one of three doshas or body types – Vita, Pitta and Kapha. (For those who are insufferably curious I am a Pitta ). Not understanding our respective types can cause us to unknowingly indulge in foods that work against our personal chemistry. Interestingly enough when looking at the foods that Pitta is supposed to avoid I saw more than a few that I have instinctively avoided/disliked since childhood!

Each recipe in The Ayurvedic Cookbook lists whether it is aggravating, calming or neutral where each dosha is concerned. Dals like this one, being tridoshic, are ideal for all body types, which is wonderful because it tastes soo soo good. Aromatic with chadon beni, coconut, geera (cumin) seeds, and pumpkin. Although I still make a more traditional Trinidadian dal, this is currently my dal of all dals. There is just something about the way that the sweetness of the pumpkin compliments the creamy warmth of the split peas and once the coconut and cilantro are stirred in at the end, oh my! Flavour fuh so! For my own personal tastes I added a tad more coconut than would qualify as a ‘garnish’, and I also use an immersion blender at the end to partially puree the liquid. With Divali fast approaching why not give it a try and let me know

From The Ayurvedic Cookbook:

Dals are always prepared with something sour in the vagar (mixture of spices and ghee)
to stimulate digestive fire. In [Mumbai], tamarind is often used, while in the Gujarati province, lemon, lime or amchoor add this stimulating sourness. It must be added in the early stages of cooking for best effect.

Want to learn more?

Find your doshic type (chopra.com)
Ayurveda on Wikipedia

Tridoshic Dal
Source: The Ayurvedic Cookbook
Preparation time : 1 hour
Serves : 6

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup split mung dal
8 cups water
2 cups summer squash, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
1 cup carrots, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
1/8 teaspoon hing
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee
1-1/4 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice or 1 tablespoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
1 small hot green pepper, chopped finely or 1/4 cup prepared salsa (omit for Pitta, and easy on this for Vata)
1-1/4 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

Garmish ; Fresh coriander leaves, chopped and shredded unsweetened coconut

METHOD:

Wash dal until rinse water is clear. Wash and chop vegetables.

1. Warm 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in large heavy saucepan.
2. Add hing, turmeric, and lemon juice and saute for 30 seconds over low heat (be careful, it is easy for turmeric
to burn).
3. Stir in the beans and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped vegetables and stir another minute or two.
5. Add water, salt, ginger, and pepper (if you are using it); bring to a boil on high heat. Then cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Let soup simmer for 45 minutes or until beans have dissolved.
7. Warm remaining tablespoon of oil or ghee in a small skillet, add cumin and mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
8. Add to soup, which is now ready to serve.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and coconut.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 175
Total Fat: 5.01g
Cholesterol: –
Sodium: 98mg
Total Carbs: 24.98g
Dietary Fiber: 9.74g
Sugars: 5.24g
Protein: 9.10g