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Trini tomato choka
Charred tomato crush
Tomato choka: charred tomato crush with garlic and hot pepper
Tomato choka is the quick sibling of baigan choka, eaten in Indo-Trinidadian homes in Chaguanas and the south with sada roti for breakfast or as a sharp side for dhal and rice. Ripe tomatoes are blackened over a flame, crushed with garlic, onion and a little scotch bonnet, then woken up with a spoon of smoking oil, giving a smoky, juicy relish. The common slip is using watery salad tomatoes, which make a thin soup; choose firm, ripe, meaty ones. Chef's tip: leave some of the charred skin in; those black flecks are where the smoky flavour lives.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 ripe tomatoesfirm and meaty, about 600 g
- 3 cloves garlicfinely grated
- 0.5 small onionfinely chopped
- ¼ scotch bonnet pepperseeded and minced
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp chadon beni or coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Char 6 ripe tomatoes over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning, until the skins are blackened and split and the tomatoes feel soft all the way through.
10 minStep 2: Put them in a bowl, pull off the loosest pieces of skin and crush the flesh with a fork into a chunky pulp.
Step 3: Mix in 3 cloves garlic, 0.5 small onion, ¼ scotch bonnet pepper and ½ tsp salt.
Step 4: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil until smoking and pour it over the tomatoes so it sizzles. Stir, scatter 1 tbsp chadon beni or coriander over if you like and serve warm.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trini tomato choka take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 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 ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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