Trinidad Roasted Pepper Choka
A spicy condiment made with HOT peppers and other aromatics. This is a perfect addition to any trini meal or trinidad doubles for those who craves that super spicy hit on their palate.
In Trinidad, we have many authentic dishes and cooking techniques which we have inherited based on our multicultural environment. One such dish is choka. Choka is really a method of cooking which has been heavily influenced by our East Indian ancestors. It is a dish made by mashing or pureeing various vegetables that have been fire-roasted to perfection. To the mashed vegetables, we use a technique called “chounkay” whereby hot oil infused with garlic is added to it at the end. This elevates the choka even further to an indescribable flavour profile. Just by tasting the choka, you will know if this was done or not. By the way, check out my dictionary for more on choka and “chounkay.”
So let’s talk Pepper Choka. Its name says it all…The main ingredient is hot spicy peppers such as habanero or scotch bonnet. These are roasted on a direct flame together with lots of garlic. We like to eat it as a condiment with curry dishes because of the high-level heat factor. I wouldn't advise you to eat this alone, by itself. Your palate will not be happy at all…lol. But it goes very well with other dished as mentioned before. And one of the main dishes is Trinidad Doubles.
The recipe below is my version that we make at home. Feel free to add more or less peppers if you like, and you can actually roast this in your broiler. Just place on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Keep your eye on it otherwise it will burn!
Ingredients
5 large hot peppers, such as scotch bonnet
1/2 a head of garlic, with the skin on
2-3 pimento peppers
2 leaves of bhandania/chadon beni (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, or any other you like
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt to taste
Method
Place a wire rack over your stove burner flame on medium heat. Place the whole peppers and pimento peppers on top of the flames. The garlic (with the skin on) should not be placed over the direct flame since this will take longer to cook through. So place it a little to the side so that it will get the indirect heat to cook through. Keep turning the peppers over the flame until they are charred. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. For the garlic, you will know when it is cooked through by squeezing it with tongs or pressing it with a fork. If it is soft, then it’s ready.
Peel the garlic and add to the bowl with the peppers to cool. Add the garlic, peppers, bhandania and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a mini chopper or food processor and pulse until incorporated. Remove and place into a bowl. You can mash them using a fork or one end of your rolling pin.
Using a kalchul or metal ladle (or even a small frying pan), add the 1 1/2 tablespoon oil to heat on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and allow to fry until golden brown (not black!!). Add this hot oil/garlic mixture to the roasted pepper mixture. Mix and taste for salt. Adjust if necessary.
