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Trini bhaji
Bhaji: dasheen bush or spinach cooked down with garlic and pepper
In Trinidad "bhaji" means greens, not fritters: young dasheen bush leaves, spinach or chorai cooked down in a karahi with a lot of garlic and hot pepper until soft and almost dry. It is one of the seven curries at Divali and an everyday filling for sada roti in Couva and Chaguanas. The usual mistake is using older dasheen leaves or undercooking young ones; dasheen must be fully cooked or it itches the throat, so spinach is the safer home choice. Chef's tip: cook it until all the liquid has gone and the greens start to fry in the oil; that is when the garlic flavour concentrates.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb spinach or young dasheen bush leaveswashed, chopped, tough stems removed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 8 cloves garlicsliced
- ½ scotch bonnet pepperminced
- 1 tomatochopped
- ¾ tsp salt
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a karahi or wide pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add 8 cloves garlic and ½ scotch bonnet pepper and fry until the garlic is golden.
4 minStep 2: Add 1 tomato and cook for 2 minutes until it softens.
2 minStep 3: Add 1 ⅓ lb spinach or young dasheen bush leaves a handful at a time, letting each lot wilt, then add ¾ tsp salt. If using dasheen leaves, cover and steam for 10 minutes first until completely soft.
6 minStep 4: Cook uncovered, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the greens begin to fry in the oil. Sprinkle with ½ tsp ground roasted cumin (geera) and serve.
8 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trini bhaji take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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