Caribbean Recipes – Baigan Choka

News Americas, NEW YORK: This week, we bring you a unique Caribbean recipe that is especially known in parts of Guyana and Trinidad. It’s baigan choka or roasted eggplant. Here’s the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant

4 garlic cloves

1 medium tomatoes (seeded and cut into 6 wedges)

1⁄4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1⁄8 teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper (minced) (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Wash eggplant and make slits in it with a knife.

Peel garlic cloves and stick into the slits made in the eggplant.

Insert tomato wedges into the slits.

Rub the eggplant with a teaspoon of oil.

Roast over an open flame (for example, a gas cooker) until soft. Do not grill because the taste will not be the same. The open flame imparts a smokey flavor which gives this dish its signature flavor.

Additionally you can place into a Ziploc bag and microwave on high for about 5-6 minutes.

When eggplant is soft, slit the charred or microwaved skin lengthways with a knife and scrape out the soft somewhat stringy pulp. Discard skin.

Mash the pulp, tomato and roasted garlic in a bowl with a fork.

Add 1 tsp oil to a non-stick frying pan and cook 1/4 cup onion until fragrant but not translucent.

Add the barely cooked finely chopped onion, salt to taste and scotch bonnet pepper to the eggplant pulp.

Serve with Sada Roti or Naan (Indian flatbread)

Your Baigan Choka is ready.