Thursday, March 13, 2008
Real Bread
I have spent 15 years trying to get bread right and for the last two years my family only east home made bread. I make 4-6 loaves a week and freeze them. It took me a long time to understand bread, its tricky stuff. Firstly the flour is one of two most important things. In Trinidad the best flour is only available from the shop inside National Flour Mills on Wrightson road. It is called "high Gluten" and is not sold in shops. Its about TT$115 a 100lb bag. A sustitute is NFM bread flour sold in 30k bags in supermarkets. Bread called "bakers flour" is not as good, it just isn't I have tried numerous experiments. Having said that I am still miles from satisfied I understand the combinations of flour and what they achieve. I think it might be lifetime chellenge.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Cleanliness
An example can be made in chicken preparation. Chicken is a favourite food and is cooked in many ways in Trinidad, all of which are delicious and will change the way many people feel about "boring chicken".
Try to purchase a chicken with giblets. Supermarkets certainly in Britain do not give giblets as a rule. Sainsburies is the exception. Giblets, particularly the neck and liver are delicacies of the meal, that children and adults in Trinidad fight over.
In these days of Salmonella and factory chickens it is may not be wise (however tasty) to use giblets. I now try always to buy free range chickens.
The chicken should be skinned and then cut up. The feet below the knuckle are cut off as are the wing tips and the parsons nose and thrown away with the skin. The drumstick and thighs can be cut in two with a cleaver as would be the back (into three). At the end of the process you will have a pile of meat cut into pieces to roughly match the size of half the thigh.
As you cut the pieces examine them for blood clots etc, and carefully remove, also scrape the inside of the chickens body carefully removing as much as possible of the very dark meat and bits.
Take a bowl and put the chicken in the bowl, cut a large lemon in two and lightly crush one half over the chicken. Using your hands work the lemon juice into the chicken. Then add some water, rinse around and drain. Squeeze the rest of the lemon onto the chicken and leave to rest for a while before draining and rinsing again. The lemon juice has the effect of cutting the fat and provides another dimension to cleansing the bird.
Take your seasoning and put about two generous tablespoons onto the chicken. Add one or two tomatoes from a tin, salt and pepper and about a tablespoon of soy sauce. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
Leave to marinate in the fridge for as long as possible, even overnight if necessary, although half a day is sufficient. You now have "seasoned" chicken, ready to use in several recipes.
Fish
In England cooking fish Caribbean style is difficult as English fish are generally not usable. In the USA the situation is better as snapper and yellow jacks etc are usually in most fish sections at the market.
In London, Brixton is the only area which regularly sells fresh fish that match Caribbean needs. Get red fish, or snapper, perhaps one of the nicest is Jamaican fresh water snapper, which is orange with black marks. Another favourite is St Peters fish.
Mullet would be the nearest European fish, round white fish being rare. Most European round fish are oily like mackerel. But Mullet is not good, it is black inside and does not taste well. The Chinese use sea bass, and that will work for all the recipes.
The fish must be washed thoroughly and then scaled. All fins as well as the tail and head should be removed. The inside of the fish should be gently scraped.
Proceed with the lemon as described for chicken.
Try to purchase a chicken with giblets. Supermarkets certainly in Britain do not give giblets as a rule. Sainsburies is the exception. Giblets, particularly the neck and liver are delicacies of the meal, that children and adults in Trinidad fight over.
In these days of Salmonella and factory chickens it is may not be wise (however tasty) to use giblets. I now try always to buy free range chickens.
The chicken should be skinned and then cut up. The feet below the knuckle are cut off as are the wing tips and the parsons nose and thrown away with the skin. The drumstick and thighs can be cut in two with a cleaver as would be the back (into three). At the end of the process you will have a pile of meat cut into pieces to roughly match the size of half the thigh.
As you cut the pieces examine them for blood clots etc, and carefully remove, also scrape the inside of the chickens body carefully removing as much as possible of the very dark meat and bits.
Take a bowl and put the chicken in the bowl, cut a large lemon in two and lightly crush one half over the chicken. Using your hands work the lemon juice into the chicken. Then add some water, rinse around and drain. Squeeze the rest of the lemon onto the chicken and leave to rest for a while before draining and rinsing again. The lemon juice has the effect of cutting the fat and provides another dimension to cleansing the bird.
Take your seasoning and put about two generous tablespoons onto the chicken. Add one or two tomatoes from a tin, salt and pepper and about a tablespoon of soy sauce. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
Leave to marinate in the fridge for as long as possible, even overnight if necessary, although half a day is sufficient. You now have "seasoned" chicken, ready to use in several recipes.
Fish
In England cooking fish Caribbean style is difficult as English fish are generally not usable. In the USA the situation is better as snapper and yellow jacks etc are usually in most fish sections at the market.
In London, Brixton is the only area which regularly sells fresh fish that match Caribbean needs. Get red fish, or snapper, perhaps one of the nicest is Jamaican fresh water snapper, which is orange with black marks. Another favourite is St Peters fish.
Mullet would be the nearest European fish, round white fish being rare. Most European round fish are oily like mackerel. But Mullet is not good, it is black inside and does not taste well. The Chinese use sea bass, and that will work for all the recipes.
The fish must be washed thoroughly and then scaled. All fins as well as the tail and head should be removed. The inside of the fish should be gently scraped.
Proceed with the lemon as described for chicken.
Cow Heel Soup
From the African side of Trinidad this wholesome soup that is very good for you. In England they used to serve invalids Calfs foot broth which is not that far away from this recipe.
2 pack of cow heel (about 2lbs), 3 tablespoons of split peas. Boil for 2 hours with 4 pints water. Then add Potato quartered, carrots sliced and salt and pepper. Make up some dumplings from flour (1 cup), water, salt and sugar and drop in teaspoon size pieces.
You can add dasheen or Eddoes or sweet potato but they do change the flavor a bit.
Cook for another 25 minutes slowly. Tasted better to be honest than all the ones we have had at restaurants...serves 4-6 depending on your appetite
2 pack of cow heel (about 2lbs), 3 tablespoons of split peas. Boil for 2 hours with 4 pints water. Then add Potato quartered, carrots sliced and salt and pepper. Make up some dumplings from flour (1 cup), water, salt and sugar and drop in teaspoon size pieces.
You can add dasheen or Eddoes or sweet potato but they do change the flavor a bit.
Cook for another 25 minutes slowly. Tasted better to be honest than all the ones we have had at restaurants...serves 4-6 depending on your appetite
Anchar
This is the dish that makes Trinidadians go back to Trinidad year after year. This is the dish that every Trinidadian would be killed by his own family if he didn't bring it back from "home".
2lbs green mangoes
1 whole garlic
half an onion
sugar
1 WI Pepper
salt
Anchar Massala (buy it from a West Indian store)
NOTE FROM MY WIFE: My wife says this wouldn't work, she boils the mangoes until skin soft and then the recipe is OK. I think the difference is that the recipe was based on local small mangoes not UK supermarket! Also her advice is to add a teaspoon of tamarind or lemon to give the edgy bite that a local small mango brings.
Wash and cut the green mangoes into pieces taking out the seed, which should be white and fairly soft. Mash up the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Heat 2/3tbpns of oil in a pot add 1 teaspoon of sugar and let brown. Add garlic, onion salt and pepper chopped. Add mangoes, anchar (1 tbpn) and 2 tbpsns sugar cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and add half a cup of water and cover and let steam for 5/10 minutes more. Let cool and enjoy.
2lbs green mangoes
1 whole garlic
half an onion
sugar
1 WI Pepper
salt
Anchar Massala (buy it from a West Indian store)
NOTE FROM MY WIFE: My wife says this wouldn't work, she boils the mangoes until skin soft and then the recipe is OK. I think the difference is that the recipe was based on local small mangoes not UK supermarket! Also her advice is to add a teaspoon of tamarind or lemon to give the edgy bite that a local small mango brings.
Wash and cut the green mangoes into pieces taking out the seed, which should be white and fairly soft. Mash up the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Heat 2/3tbpns of oil in a pot add 1 teaspoon of sugar and let brown. Add garlic, onion salt and pepper chopped. Add mangoes, anchar (1 tbpn) and 2 tbpsns sugar cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and add half a cup of water and cover and let steam for 5/10 minutes more. Let cool and enjoy.
Plantain
Ingredients
1 Plantain
salt
1 Tbspn Oil
Choosing a plantain can be difficult for people not used to them. As they get riper they begin to get black patches and marks on them. Choose a ripe Plantain, if its not ripe you will get plantain tasting like french fries, if its too ripe it will be very sweet and fall. But just right and it has a soft consistency and tastes wonderful. If there is green on the end of the plantain its not ripe.
Peel and slice in half lengthwise. The cut each half into three equal pieces and place on a plate and sprinkle with salt.
Leave for a moment while heating the pan with oil until fairly hot. Again the temperature is a bit tricky, a bit like pancakes really, too hot and it burns without cooking, too cool and it cooks too slow and absorbs too much oil. Cook until brown on both sides.
Place two paper towels on a plate and lay the plantain on this. Cover with another towel and place a heavy saucepan on top. This will absorb as much as possible of the oil. Without this the plantain can be a bit greasy.
Serve with parathas or roti.
1 Plantain
salt
1 Tbspn Oil
Choosing a plantain can be difficult for people not used to them. As they get riper they begin to get black patches and marks on them. Choose a ripe Plantain, if its not ripe you will get plantain tasting like french fries, if its too ripe it will be very sweet and fall. But just right and it has a soft consistency and tastes wonderful. If there is green on the end of the plantain its not ripe.
Peel and slice in half lengthwise. The cut each half into three equal pieces and place on a plate and sprinkle with salt.
Leave for a moment while heating the pan with oil until fairly hot. Again the temperature is a bit tricky, a bit like pancakes really, too hot and it burns without cooking, too cool and it cooks too slow and absorbs too much oil. Cook until brown on both sides.
Place two paper towels on a plate and lay the plantain on this. Cover with another towel and place a heavy saucepan on top. This will absorb as much as possible of the oil. Without this the plantain can be a bit greasy.
Serve with parathas or roti.
Sada and Paratha Roti
Paratha is a version of roti not a different thing. The ingredients are basically the same but the method differs.
Ingredients
Half a pound of self raising four (or plain flour and plenty of baking powder)
1 tablespoon of Flora or butter
Pinch of salt
Pinch of yeast (if you have the time to let it rise a little)
Cold water to mix
Method
Mix flour salt and cornflour with flora or butter using your fingers then add a little cold water at a time working in until a soft dough is formed and all flour is absorbed. The consistency should be softer and moister than pastry. Knead for several minutes until the dough has the texture as bread dough and removes the flour from your fingers. Let this rest for few minutes.
Break off lumps about the size of a peach. Role out in a circle to about the size of a bread plate (8").
Roti
This is a roti and you can cook this as is on a fairly hot frying pan surface or griddle which has been just brushed with oil. If the pan is too hot it will get brown patches without cooking. Cook both sides, when doing the second side if you did a good job the roti will swell a little with bubbles. Those of you with gas can at the end hold the roti over the flame a second and it should puff up. This is not necessary, but traditional and helps if you want to use the roti as a holder like Pita bread.
Paratha
For these eminently more delicious versions of roti start at the point where you have rolled the circle.
Carefully put a thin layer of flora on the top of the roti and using a sharp knife make a cut (see illustration) from the centre to the edge. Then roll the roti up as shown around the circle to make a cone and fold the last corner over the top and pat down to make a shape like a thick round biscuit. Do this to all the roti and then carefully roll each one again into a flat circle.
Fry as roti but while cooking brush a little oil over the roti and turn over. brush a little more on the other side. Then using a spatula flatten the edges of the roti around. This has the effect of keeping the fat you spread over the roti (when rolling) inside and as it gets hot it will cause the roti to swell.
When cooked on both sides (turn paratha several times unlike plain roti) take out of the pan and wrap in a cloth then hit the paratha several times edgeways to crush it up a bit.
Paratha are slightly sweeter than roti (because of the extra fat) and go really well with fried plantains or apple bananas, or pumpkin.
Ingredients
Half a pound of self raising four (or plain flour and plenty of baking powder)
1 tablespoon of Flora or butter
Pinch of salt
Pinch of yeast (if you have the time to let it rise a little)
Cold water to mix
Method
Mix flour salt and cornflour with flora or butter using your fingers then add a little cold water at a time working in until a soft dough is formed and all flour is absorbed. The consistency should be softer and moister than pastry. Knead for several minutes until the dough has the texture as bread dough and removes the flour from your fingers. Let this rest for few minutes.
Break off lumps about the size of a peach. Role out in a circle to about the size of a bread plate (8").
Roti
This is a roti and you can cook this as is on a fairly hot frying pan surface or griddle which has been just brushed with oil. If the pan is too hot it will get brown patches without cooking. Cook both sides, when doing the second side if you did a good job the roti will swell a little with bubbles. Those of you with gas can at the end hold the roti over the flame a second and it should puff up. This is not necessary, but traditional and helps if you want to use the roti as a holder like Pita bread.
Paratha
For these eminently more delicious versions of roti start at the point where you have rolled the circle.
Carefully put a thin layer of flora on the top of the roti and using a sharp knife make a cut (see illustration) from the centre to the edge. Then roll the roti up as shown around the circle to make a cone and fold the last corner over the top and pat down to make a shape like a thick round biscuit. Do this to all the roti and then carefully roll each one again into a flat circle.
Fry as roti but while cooking brush a little oil over the roti and turn over. brush a little more on the other side. Then using a spatula flatten the edges of the roti around. This has the effect of keeping the fat you spread over the roti (when rolling) inside and as it gets hot it will cause the roti to swell.
When cooked on both sides (turn paratha several times unlike plain roti) take out of the pan and wrap in a cloth then hit the paratha several times edgeways to crush it up a bit.
Paratha are slightly sweeter than roti (because of the extra fat) and go really well with fried plantains or apple bananas, or pumpkin.
Potato and Aubergine
Ingredients
1lb new potato
1 Aubergine
Half a hot WI Pepper
Half an Onion
Take firm potatoes (like new potato) and peel and slice thinly. Heat five tablespoons of oil in a pot and add chopped onion and pepper and then potato. Leave on high heat and cover. Uncover every five minute and stir. After about ten minutes add aubergine sliced thinly into pieces about 2"x1"x a quarteralso add salt. Cover and leave for ten minutes.
When you next uncover and stir the aubergine will have begun to fall and the potato should be cooked and browning nicely. It may require another five minutes or so to finish. When all cooked, turn off heat and pull ingredients to one side ofthe pot to let excess oil drain off. Serve with roti, and for a special treat add thinly sliced fresh avocado.
1lb new potato
1 Aubergine
Half a hot WI Pepper
Half an Onion
Take firm potatoes (like new potato) and peel and slice thinly. Heat five tablespoons of oil in a pot and add chopped onion and pepper and then potato. Leave on high heat and cover. Uncover every five minute and stir. After about ten minutes add aubergine sliced thinly into pieces about 2"x1"x a quarteralso add salt. Cover and leave for ten minutes.
When you next uncover and stir the aubergine will have begun to fall and the potato should be cooked and browning nicely. It may require another five minutes or so to finish. When all cooked, turn off heat and pull ingredients to one side ofthe pot to let excess oil drain off. Serve with roti, and for a special treat add thinly sliced fresh avocado.
Pumkin and Roti
Ingredients
1lb of Pumpkin cleaned and peeled and chopped into pieces 1 x 1 x 1/8.
1/2 small onion chopped.
1/4 yellow hot WI pepper chopped.
4/5 cloves garlic chopped finely.
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok and when hot add onion, garlic and pepper , fry for a minute or two. Add Pumpkin and 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cook on medium heat for twenty to thirty minutes until fallen to consistency of apple sauce After 5 minutes add a little (1/2 tablespoon) water).
1lb of Pumpkin cleaned and peeled and chopped into pieces 1 x 1 x 1/8.
1/2 small onion chopped.
1/4 yellow hot WI pepper chopped.
4/5 cloves garlic chopped finely.
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok and when hot add onion, garlic and pepper , fry for a minute or two. Add Pumpkin and 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cook on medium heat for twenty to thirty minutes until fallen to consistency of apple sauce After 5 minutes add a little (1/2 tablespoon) water).
Pak Choy, Split Peas and Rice
Ingredients
2 lbs of Pak Choy
oil
1 onion
Half a WI Pepper
2 oz of Garlic ( about 8 cloves - yes really!)
6 oz yellow split peas
curry powder
Method
Weigh 6 oz yellow split peas, wash and boil with water and 3/4 tablespoon of curry powder and 1 dessertspoon of crushed garlic. Cook until done 30/40 minutes. Blend for a few seconds and return to pot. Heat a ladle or large spoon over direct heat with a little oil in it until oil smokes. Add 3/4 tablespoon crushed garlic and let cook until dark brown. Plunge ladle into split peas taking care not to get splashed.
While peas are cooking take the 2 lbs of Pak Choy washed carefully and finely chopped. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok on high heat and add 1 small onion chopped and 1/2 a hot WI pepper and 1 dessertspoon crushed garlic. Add Pak Choy after a few seconds and stir. Salt well and cover and cook for 30 minutes. It is important to keep heat fairly high to help liquid from Pak Choy evaporate.
Serve with plain boiled rice. Pour some split peas over rice and put a little Pak Choy on top.
2 lbs of Pak Choy
oil
1 onion
Half a WI Pepper
2 oz of Garlic ( about 8 cloves - yes really!)
6 oz yellow split peas
curry powder
Method
Weigh 6 oz yellow split peas, wash and boil with water and 3/4 tablespoon of curry powder and 1 dessertspoon of crushed garlic. Cook until done 30/40 minutes. Blend for a few seconds and return to pot. Heat a ladle or large spoon over direct heat with a little oil in it until oil smokes. Add 3/4 tablespoon crushed garlic and let cook until dark brown. Plunge ladle into split peas taking care not to get splashed.
While peas are cooking take the 2 lbs of Pak Choy washed carefully and finely chopped. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok on high heat and add 1 small onion chopped and 1/2 a hot WI pepper and 1 dessertspoon crushed garlic. Add Pak Choy after a few seconds and stir. Salt well and cover and cook for 30 minutes. It is important to keep heat fairly high to help liquid from Pak Choy evaporate.
Serve with plain boiled rice. Pour some split peas over rice and put a little Pak Choy on top.
Fried Rice
2 Breasts of Chicken cleaned and seasoned.
1 cauliflower
1 green peppers
1 red pepper
3 large carrots
1 onion
8 oz rice
oil salt and pepper
soy sauce, seasoning and browning.
This is a festive dish and is always served at Christmas (along with a mountain of other things of course!). Its very good as a light diet meal, with a side salad.
Cook rice as normal (see boiled rice) but drain while still a little undercooked.
All vegetables must be sliced and chopped into small cubes. The cauliflower must be cutr from the centre out so that the remaining ingredient to cook is just the very top of the flowerets. This is a time consuming process, but essential as the stalks of the cauliflower are watery and will leave you with a soggy fried rice!.
Heat 3 tbpns oil in a wok on high heat. and add 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Wait until sugar melts and bubbles and turns dark. Add sesoned chicken stir and cover. Leave on high heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, and add carrots and onions and covering let cook for further 5 minutes. Uncover and add salt and soy, cauliflower and cover for another 3 minutes. Stir and add 1 tbspn of seasoning and pepper, Finally add pepplers stir and cover for two minutes. Uncover and add rice and stir vigorously. Add 1 teaspoon of browning and stir to mix and colour ingredients well. Add 3/4 oz butter and stir in gently. Remove from heat and mix again.
1 cauliflower
1 green peppers
1 red pepper
3 large carrots
1 onion
8 oz rice
oil salt and pepper
soy sauce, seasoning and browning.
This is a festive dish and is always served at Christmas (along with a mountain of other things of course!). Its very good as a light diet meal, with a side salad.
Cook rice as normal (see boiled rice) but drain while still a little undercooked.
All vegetables must be sliced and chopped into small cubes. The cauliflower must be cutr from the centre out so that the remaining ingredient to cook is just the very top of the flowerets. This is a time consuming process, but essential as the stalks of the cauliflower are watery and will leave you with a soggy fried rice!.
Heat 3 tbpns oil in a wok on high heat. and add 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Wait until sugar melts and bubbles and turns dark. Add sesoned chicken stir and cover. Leave on high heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, and add carrots and onions and covering let cook for further 5 minutes. Uncover and add salt and soy, cauliflower and cover for another 3 minutes. Stir and add 1 tbspn of seasoning and pepper, Finally add pepplers stir and cover for two minutes. Uncover and add rice and stir vigorously. Add 1 teaspoon of browning and stir to mix and colour ingredients well. Add 3/4 oz butter and stir in gently. Remove from heat and mix again.
Plain Rice
I know it sounds strange, and like me you probably thought you could cook rice,... well read on.
American Long grain rice, water, salt
About 3oz per person
Wash rice thoroughly in cold water, running your fingers through the rice to remove the film from each grain.
Boil a kettle full of water. Put the rice on the stove on high heat and add the boiling water, add salt. Keep the pot on fairly high heat, uncovered until cooked. Check rice by removing a few grains on a wooden spoon and use your nail to test consistency. Keep plenty of water in the pot.
Before draining skim the surface of the water which will be covered in a scum of the starch.
Drain into a colander, place the colander over the pan and cover, allow to settle for a few minutes before serving.
Rice cooked this way is less starchy, does not stick and is better for you.
The secret is the large volume of water to rice (rather like cooking pasta), and skimming the starch off before straining.
American Long grain rice, water, salt
About 3oz per person
Wash rice thoroughly in cold water, running your fingers through the rice to remove the film from each grain.
Boil a kettle full of water. Put the rice on the stove on high heat and add the boiling water, add salt. Keep the pot on fairly high heat, uncovered until cooked. Check rice by removing a few grains on a wooden spoon and use your nail to test consistency. Keep plenty of water in the pot.
Before draining skim the surface of the water which will be covered in a scum of the starch.
Drain into a colander, place the colander over the pan and cover, allow to settle for a few minutes before serving.
Rice cooked this way is less starchy, does not stick and is better for you.
The secret is the large volume of water to rice (rather like cooking pasta), and skimming the starch off before straining.
Saltfish, Potato and Aubergine
Ingredients
quarter pound saltfish
oil
half onion chopped
half WI pepper chopped
8 oz potato
1 Aubergine
Method
Wash a small piece of saltfish (1/4 lb) and cut up very fine. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok and add saltfish. Cook until brown. Add 1/2 onion chopped and 1/2 hot WI pepper chopped. stir and leave cooking for a few minutes. Add 6/8 oz potato cut into thin chips cover and cook for 3/5 minutes. Peel aubergine and slice thinly into pieces 2 x 1 x 1/8. Add aubergine cover and cook with reduced heat for 25/30 minutes stirring occasionally.
You will need to use a metal spoon for this as the fish will stick and a wooden spoon will not scrape effectively.
Serve with parathas or roti.
quarter pound saltfish
oil
half onion chopped
half WI pepper chopped
8 oz potato
1 Aubergine
Method
Wash a small piece of saltfish (1/4 lb) and cut up very fine. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wok and add saltfish. Cook until brown. Add 1/2 onion chopped and 1/2 hot WI pepper chopped. stir and leave cooking for a few minutes. Add 6/8 oz potato cut into thin chips cover and cook for 3/5 minutes. Peel aubergine and slice thinly into pieces 2 x 1 x 1/8. Add aubergine cover and cook with reduced heat for 25/30 minutes stirring occasionally.
You will need to use a metal spoon for this as the fish will stick and a wooden spoon will not scrape effectively.
Serve with parathas or roti.
Salmon and Rice
This recipe use tinned salmon and is easy and very quick. The whole meal including the rice is ready in less than half an hour. Tinned salmon will suddenly assume a role of much greater importance once you have tried this delicious recipe.
Ingredients
1 tin salmon (8 oz or 250 grams )
2 fresh tomatoes cut up
half a small tin of tomatoes
Half a small onion chopped
Quarter of a WI pepper chopped
1 tablespoon seasoning
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan until hot and add the onion and pepper. Stir for a minute and add tomatoes but not juice and salt, stir and cover. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Open salmon into a bowl and clean off the skin and bones keeping the liquid.
Add the salmon and juice of slamon and tomatoes to the pan and pepper and seasoning. Cover and continue to cook on high heat for another 10 minutes.
Serve with white rice and cucumber sliced.
This dish is especially good if you have it the day after Pak Choy (see recipe), as you generally have some split pea dhal left over and this poured over the rice before the salmon is delicious.
Ingredients
1 tin salmon (8 oz or 250 grams )
2 fresh tomatoes cut up
half a small tin of tomatoes
Half a small onion chopped
Quarter of a WI pepper chopped
1 tablespoon seasoning
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan until hot and add the onion and pepper. Stir for a minute and add tomatoes but not juice and salt, stir and cover. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Open salmon into a bowl and clean off the skin and bones keeping the liquid.
Add the salmon and juice of slamon and tomatoes to the pan and pepper and seasoning. Cover and continue to cook on high heat for another 10 minutes.
Serve with white rice and cucumber sliced.
This dish is especially good if you have it the day after Pak Choy (see recipe), as you generally have some split pea dhal left over and this poured over the rice before the salmon is delicious.
Curried Prawns and Aubergine
Ingredients
1lb fresh prawns (uncooked)
1 8/10oz Aubergine
Half an Onion
Quarter West Indian Pepper
1 tbspn seasoning
salt and pepper
1 Tbspn Curry powder
1 Tbspn Oil
1 Tbspn Soy Sauce
Half a lemon
1 small tin Tomatoes
Peel and clean prawns as above and place in a clean bowl. Squees the juice of the lemon over and mix well rubbing the juice gently into the prawns. Add water and rinse and drain.
Add Soy sauce, half the seasoning, salt and pepper, and one tomato and some juice from the tin. Mix well and leave to marinate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Chop the half an onion and the pepper, and fry in the hot oil in a wok for a few seconds. Add the curry powder and let this cook for a few seconds stirring. Then add the prawns lifting them out and leaving the marinade. Cook stirring for two minutes.
Remove prawns and add the aubergine which has been peeled and sliced into pieces 1 x 1 x 1/8. Add rest of tin of tomatoes and seasoning salt and pepper. Put about half a pint of bioing water over the marinade and add this. Cover and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. The aubergine should be almost dry and cooked so that it is almost losing its shape. Add the prawns stir and remove from heat allowing the heat from the aubergine to finish cooking the prawns slowly.
Serve with Paratha or white rice.
1lb fresh prawns (uncooked)
1 8/10oz Aubergine
Half an Onion
Quarter West Indian Pepper
1 tbspn seasoning
salt and pepper
1 Tbspn Curry powder
1 Tbspn Oil
1 Tbspn Soy Sauce
Half a lemon
1 small tin Tomatoes
Peel and clean prawns as above and place in a clean bowl. Squees the juice of the lemon over and mix well rubbing the juice gently into the prawns. Add water and rinse and drain.
Add Soy sauce, half the seasoning, salt and pepper, and one tomato and some juice from the tin. Mix well and leave to marinate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Chop the half an onion and the pepper, and fry in the hot oil in a wok for a few seconds. Add the curry powder and let this cook for a few seconds stirring. Then add the prawns lifting them out and leaving the marinade. Cook stirring for two minutes.
Remove prawns and add the aubergine which has been peeled and sliced into pieces 1 x 1 x 1/8. Add rest of tin of tomatoes and seasoning salt and pepper. Put about half a pint of bioing water over the marinade and add this. Cover and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. The aubergine should be almost dry and cooked so that it is almost losing its shape. Add the prawns stir and remove from heat allowing the heat from the aubergine to finish cooking the prawns slowly.
Serve with Paratha or white rice.
Curried Fiush and Tomato
Ingredients
1lb fresh water snapper or similar
Curry powder
Oil
salt and pepper
small onion sliced
8 oz of fresh tomatoes chopped plus half an 8 oz tin Italian tomatoes.
Method
After cleaning thoroughly, cut into even pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon or lime over the fish. Cut the squeezed lemon half into pieces and scatter on fish, leave for half an hour.
Drain fish, add one and half tablespoons of seasoning, salt, pepper and one tablespoon soy sauce, let marinate for a couple of hours up to a day.
Heat a pan with one tablespoon of oil, and lightly flour each piece of fish ( keep the seasoning bowl), then fry them a few pieces at a time quickly until lightly brown. As they colour lift out carefully onto a plate.
.
Cut up about 4 large tomatoes in a bowl and add 1/2 tinned tomatoes and some liquid from the tin. Chop up a small onion and half a WI pepper. Put one tablespoon of curry in hot oil and fry on high heat for a few seconds then add onions and pepper and fry for a minute more before adding Tomato mixture. Stir and reduce heat slightly, now add the liquid from the seasoned fish, salt pepper and cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Then gently add the fish and with the minimum stirring leave to cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with white rice and a salad. Also very good is to serve this with dasheen, or boiled green banana.
1lb fresh water snapper or similar
Curry powder
Oil
salt and pepper
small onion sliced
8 oz of fresh tomatoes chopped plus half an 8 oz tin Italian tomatoes.
Method
After cleaning thoroughly, cut into even pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon or lime over the fish. Cut the squeezed lemon half into pieces and scatter on fish, leave for half an hour.
Drain fish, add one and half tablespoons of seasoning, salt, pepper and one tablespoon soy sauce, let marinate for a couple of hours up to a day.
Heat a pan with one tablespoon of oil, and lightly flour each piece of fish ( keep the seasoning bowl), then fry them a few pieces at a time quickly until lightly brown. As they colour lift out carefully onto a plate.
.
Cut up about 4 large tomatoes in a bowl and add 1/2 tinned tomatoes and some liquid from the tin. Chop up a small onion and half a WI pepper. Put one tablespoon of curry in hot oil and fry on high heat for a few seconds then add onions and pepper and fry for a minute more before adding Tomato mixture. Stir and reduce heat slightly, now add the liquid from the seasoned fish, salt pepper and cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Then gently add the fish and with the minimum stirring leave to cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with white rice and a salad. Also very good is to serve this with dasheen, or boiled green banana.
Curried Fish
Ingredients
1lb fresh water snapper or similar
seasoning
2/3 Eddoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Curry powder
Oil
salt and pepper
Soy sauce
small onion sliced
8 oz tin Italian tomatoes (or a mixture of fresh and tinned, but the tinned must be there)
Method
After cleaning thoroughly, cut into even pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon or lime over the fish. Cut the squeezed lemon half into pieces and scatter on fish, leave for half an hour.
Drain fish, add one and half tablespoons of seasoning, salt, pepper and one tablespoon soy sauce, let marinate for a couple of hours up to a day.
Heat a pan with one tablespoon of oil, and lightly flour each piece of fish ( keep the seasoning bowl), then fry them a few pieces at a time quickly until lightly brown. As they colour lift out carefully onto a plate.
Peel 2/3 eddoes and chop into pieces about 1 inch square. Also slice half an onion thinly.
Using the same pan and fat reheat and add one tablespoon of curry powder and let cook until dark. Add the eddoes and onions and stir briskly until well coated. Add the marinade mixture the fish were in being careful of splashing from the hot oil. Put a cup of boiling water in the marinade dish and make sure you get as much of the mix as you can dissolved into it then pour this into the cooking mix. Add a couple of canned Italian tomatoes and some juice from a small can. Also add salt and pepper again now, for the new ingredients.
Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20/30 minutes until eddoes begin to fall. This is tested by using the back of a wooden spoon to test if they squash.
Add the fish(and any juice in the plate) carefully back to the pot, cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes more.
Serve with rice or for a special treat with green bananas and yellow yam (see recipe number X). This dish is also good with dasheen peeled and boiled, and served with the rice.
The gravy with the fish is very good, when eating mash up the eddoes and dasheen with your fork so that they will absorb the gravy, you just can't seem to get enough.
1lb fresh water snapper or similar
seasoning
2/3 Eddoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Curry powder
Oil
salt and pepper
Soy sauce
small onion sliced
8 oz tin Italian tomatoes (or a mixture of fresh and tinned, but the tinned must be there)
Method
After cleaning thoroughly, cut into even pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon or lime over the fish. Cut the squeezed lemon half into pieces and scatter on fish, leave for half an hour.
Drain fish, add one and half tablespoons of seasoning, salt, pepper and one tablespoon soy sauce, let marinate for a couple of hours up to a day.
Heat a pan with one tablespoon of oil, and lightly flour each piece of fish ( keep the seasoning bowl), then fry them a few pieces at a time quickly until lightly brown. As they colour lift out carefully onto a plate.
Peel 2/3 eddoes and chop into pieces about 1 inch square. Also slice half an onion thinly.
Using the same pan and fat reheat and add one tablespoon of curry powder and let cook until dark. Add the eddoes and onions and stir briskly until well coated. Add the marinade mixture the fish were in being careful of splashing from the hot oil. Put a cup of boiling water in the marinade dish and make sure you get as much of the mix as you can dissolved into it then pour this into the cooking mix. Add a couple of canned Italian tomatoes and some juice from a small can. Also add salt and pepper again now, for the new ingredients.
Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20/30 minutes until eddoes begin to fall. This is tested by using the back of a wooden spoon to test if they squash.
Add the fish(and any juice in the plate) carefully back to the pot, cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes more.
Serve with rice or for a special treat with green bananas and yellow yam (see recipe number X). This dish is also good with dasheen peeled and boiled, and served with the rice.
The gravy with the fish is very good, when eating mash up the eddoes and dasheen with your fork so that they will absorb the gravy, you just can't seem to get enough.
Pelau
Prepare and clean chicken as above but season as below. Use 1/1.5lb of cleaned chicken for 2/3 people.
Preparation of Pilau is in three stages, seasoning, cooking the chicken, and preparing the rice.
Season the chicken as above.
Ingredients
teaspoon of sugar
gravy browning
One and a half Onions sliced
Tomato Ketchup
Half a WI Pepper
A Tin of Tomatoes (8 oz)
Soy Sauce
Salt and pepper
1 Tin Gungo Peas
Butter
Method
Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a wok or pot with 1.5 teaspoons of sugar. When sugar melts and turns dark brown (almost black) add chicken. Spoon chicken into pot reserving the liquid from the seasoning for use later. Add half a teaspoon of gravy browning and stir thoroughly. Cook on a fairly high heat covered for 10 minutes.
Uncover and add a small onion sliced finely and 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup, cover again and allow to continue cooking for about another 10 minutes stirring regularly. A lot of the liquid will be absorbed. Remove the chicken with a spoon to a dish, ensuring that you remove only the chicken leaving the mixture and oil, the resulting chicken will be dark brown and almost dry. Drain of almost all of the liquid into the reserved liquid from the marinade.
Rice
Into the pot that the chicken was cooked add half an onion sliced finely and half a pepper chopped with a couple of sliced spring onions. Cook for a few seconds. Add rice and the other half tin of tomatoes and stir briskly also adding another half tablespoon of seasoning. Add half tablespoon of Soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper and continue stirring. When the mixture starts to stick pour 1 cup of boiling water onto the reserved seasoning and mix in then add to mixture. Also add 3 cups of boiling water and stir to mix.
The balance of rice to water is critical to success and water must be added sparingly throughout. Too much water and the result is soupy, too little and the Pilau is dry. Let mixture cook on fairly high heat partially covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile open a can of green gungo peas(Grace or Dunns River are popular makes) and wash and drain in a colander.
Uncover pot and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, peas and 1 teaspoon of browning and stir in gently. Reheat slowly and let simmer for 2/3 minutes.
Finally add 1 oz of butter and chicken and very carefully mix in. Cover and remove from heat and allow to settle before serving.
Pilau is very good served with a crisp cold mixed salad with no seasoning.
Preparation of Pilau is in three stages, seasoning, cooking the chicken, and preparing the rice.
Season the chicken as above.
Ingredients
teaspoon of sugar
gravy browning
One and a half Onions sliced
Tomato Ketchup
Half a WI Pepper
A Tin of Tomatoes (8 oz)
Soy Sauce
Salt and pepper
1 Tin Gungo Peas
Butter
Method
Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a wok or pot with 1.5 teaspoons of sugar. When sugar melts and turns dark brown (almost black) add chicken. Spoon chicken into pot reserving the liquid from the seasoning for use later. Add half a teaspoon of gravy browning and stir thoroughly. Cook on a fairly high heat covered for 10 minutes.
Uncover and add a small onion sliced finely and 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup, cover again and allow to continue cooking for about another 10 minutes stirring regularly. A lot of the liquid will be absorbed. Remove the chicken with a spoon to a dish, ensuring that you remove only the chicken leaving the mixture and oil, the resulting chicken will be dark brown and almost dry. Drain of almost all of the liquid into the reserved liquid from the marinade.
Rice
Into the pot that the chicken was cooked add half an onion sliced finely and half a pepper chopped with a couple of sliced spring onions. Cook for a few seconds. Add rice and the other half tin of tomatoes and stir briskly also adding another half tablespoon of seasoning. Add half tablespoon of Soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper and continue stirring. When the mixture starts to stick pour 1 cup of boiling water onto the reserved seasoning and mix in then add to mixture. Also add 3 cups of boiling water and stir to mix.
The balance of rice to water is critical to success and water must be added sparingly throughout. Too much water and the result is soupy, too little and the Pilau is dry. Let mixture cook on fairly high heat partially covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile open a can of green gungo peas(Grace or Dunns River are popular makes) and wash and drain in a colander.
Uncover pot and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, peas and 1 teaspoon of browning and stir in gently. Reheat slowly and let simmer for 2/3 minutes.
Finally add 1 oz of butter and chicken and very carefully mix in. Cover and remove from heat and allow to settle before serving.
Pilau is very good served with a crisp cold mixed salad with no seasoning.
Chicken Soup Trinidad Style
Ingredients
2 oz yellow split peas
12 oz seasoned chicken
oil
brown sugar
ketchup
2/3 green bananas peeled
three quarters of a pound of yellow yam (or Eddoes or Dasheen)
half a pound of sweet potato
half onion chopped
seasoning
8 oz tin tomatoes
plain flour
salt pepper and browning
butter
Method
Take 2 oz yellow split peas wash and boil in plenty of water for 30 minutes.
Using 8-12 oz seasoned chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok with 2 teaspoon of sugar until sugar goes caramel. Put chicken into pot and cook for 20 minutes. After 5 minutes add 1/2 pt of water. Let simmer checking water. Drain most liquid away and reserve. Add 1 tablespoon of ketchup cover and continue to cook for 5/10 minutes. Take out of pot and save.
Take 2/3 green bananas and 3/4 lb of yellow yam (or Eddoes) and 1/2 lb sweet potato peel and chop into cubes about 1 inch. Put a tablespoon of oil in the wok on high heat and add 1/2 an onion peeled and chopped. Add vegetables, then drain split pea water into chicken water and save, and add split peas to mixture in pot and stir. Cook for a minute or two then add 1 pt boiling water (cold water makes the vegetables go watery). Add the other liquid saved and salt and teaspoon of seasoning and half a small tin tomatoes. Bring to boil and simmer.
Make some small dumplings with plain flour and water. Pull off small lumps and roll in the hand then flatten into a shape like an African shield. Put these into the soup after 25 minutes. At the same time add pepper, a few drops of browning, check salt and also add a knob of butter. Cook for another twenty minutes or so, check vegetables are cooked.
2 oz yellow split peas
12 oz seasoned chicken
oil
brown sugar
ketchup
2/3 green bananas peeled
three quarters of a pound of yellow yam (or Eddoes or Dasheen)
half a pound of sweet potato
half onion chopped
seasoning
8 oz tin tomatoes
plain flour
salt pepper and browning
butter
Method
Take 2 oz yellow split peas wash and boil in plenty of water for 30 minutes.
Using 8-12 oz seasoned chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok with 2 teaspoon of sugar until sugar goes caramel. Put chicken into pot and cook for 20 minutes. After 5 minutes add 1/2 pt of water. Let simmer checking water. Drain most liquid away and reserve. Add 1 tablespoon of ketchup cover and continue to cook for 5/10 minutes. Take out of pot and save.
Take 2/3 green bananas and 3/4 lb of yellow yam (or Eddoes) and 1/2 lb sweet potato peel and chop into cubes about 1 inch. Put a tablespoon of oil in the wok on high heat and add 1/2 an onion peeled and chopped. Add vegetables, then drain split pea water into chicken water and save, and add split peas to mixture in pot and stir. Cook for a minute or two then add 1 pt boiling water (cold water makes the vegetables go watery). Add the other liquid saved and salt and teaspoon of seasoning and half a small tin tomatoes. Bring to boil and simmer.
Make some small dumplings with plain flour and water. Pull off small lumps and roll in the hand then flatten into a shape like an African shield. Put these into the soup after 25 minutes. At the same time add pepper, a few drops of browning, check salt and also add a knob of butter. Cook for another twenty minutes or so, check vegetables are cooked.
Chicken and Aubergine
One large (1lb) or two small Aubergines,
Oil, Curry powder
Half an Onion and half a WI Pepper and an inch of ginger plus 1 tspn sugar
2 Tomatoes chopped
My own experience with Aubergine, is that its an OK vegetable but one that I would not bother cooking myself. I have had it cooked several ways, including the french and Italian.
If this is your experience, be prepared for a truly remarkable use of Aubergine that will change you to an enthusiast immediately.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan on high heat, and when its hot add 1 tablespoon of curry powder, ginger and garlic. Let this cook for about 30 seconds only and then add chicken slowly using a spoon. Reserve the seasoning liquid
Let fry stirring regularly for a few minutes and then cover and let cook.
After 5 minutes add half an onion, a tomato cxhopped and half a west Indian pepper chopped (no seeds) finely and tspn sugar, stir cover and continue cooking at high heat.
Peel Aubergine and cut and slice into pieces about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide by a quarter of an inch thick.
After chicken has cooked for 10 minutes put reserved liquid into pot, add aubergine on top without stirring sprinkle lightly with salt and cover and cook for another 15 minutes turning heat down to medium.
Then uncover and reduce for another 5 minutes or so until the mixture has virtually no liquid.
The aubergine will have fallen almost completely.
Serve with white rice and salad.
VARIATIONS
add some small potatoes about ten minuets befor it finishes
Some people add a tomato cut up at the same time as the aubergine
Ingredients
If a food can be said to have a key which unlocks its secrets, then the key of this cuisine is "seasoning".
The concept of this seasoning needs careful explanation.
There are parallels in the foods of Asia; Taaza Masala in India for example, is roughly similar, as is Krung Kaeng Khieu Wan in Thailand. The ingredients in each are different, but most important is the emphasis.
Seasoning is fundamental to Trindad Indian cuisine, not just "another" interesting idea. Without it, as you will see from the recipes almost nothing can be cooked.
To a Trinidadian Indian, seasoning is generally made fresh for each meal. This is a very time consuming process involving a mortar and pestle. I have found that made up in batches and kept in jars in the fridge is the only practical way to always use seasoning. In fact this tastes superb, and keeps for a month.
In some dishes absolutely fresh seasoning creates a totally different taste, I have indicated these dishes.
Seasoning
Unless you are prepared to create your own seasoning, you will never recreate the authentic taste of this cuisine. It is not hard to do, and believe me is worth its weight in gold.
Seasoning can be made up in batches and stored in jars to be used as required. I have successfully made it in London. I am sure all the ingredients did not match those used in Trinidad, but are close enough to work the same magic. In Trinidad it is most often made in a mortar and pestle, but I have had excellent results using an electric food processor.
It must be kept in the fridge and will keep indefinitely. In large families in Trinidad it is made fresh daily, having made a batch you will appreciate why women had to spend all day on food in the past!
The ingredients to make up about three to six months supply are:-
1 Bunch Spring Onions (shallots)(8 oz)
1 Bunch Parsley (4oz)
1 Bunch Coriander(4oz)
4 oz Hot west Indian peppers, mixed red, green, and yellow
1 Bunch Thyme(4oz)
2 whole large garlics (4oz peeled)
3 oz White Vinegar
Preparation
Wash everything very thoroughly.
Add gradually to a food processor using as little vinegar as possible, consistent with the mixture actually processing. It will end up the consistency of bottled mint sauce. Bottle it and store in the fridge.
The mixture will keep indefinitely. Used fresh it imparts a very different flavour which is especially good with fish.
Sugar Caramel
This is another essential item for success whose origin is West Coast African.
Many Trinidad Indian dishes start with a small amount of oil in a rounded pot (a bit like a Wok) to which brown sugar is added (about a dessert spoon). The stove is turned high and as the oil gets hot it gradually turns the sugar to caramel.
When the sugar has turned brown and bubbles the food is added. This has the affect of darkening the mixture as well as flavouring.
Other ingredients
Each recipe will describe it own needs, but a general list would include:-
Tinned Italian tomatoes
Spring Onions
Onions
Hot peppers (red green and yellow, and round)
Chillies (long and green or red)
Curry powder (Rajah mild Madras if you want it right)
Soy Sauce (a good naturally fermented if you can get it, dark and tasty)
Crosse and Blackwells Browning
Sugar, salt pepper
Coriander seeds
Preparation
If you want to cook food that will authentically replicate a Trinidad Indian home, you must be prepared to spend time on preparation.
Cleanliness is as much a key ingredient as seasoning. A Trinidadian Indian seeing the way Europeans cook would be horrified by the lack of cleanliness.
The concept of this seasoning needs careful explanation.
There are parallels in the foods of Asia; Taaza Masala in India for example, is roughly similar, as is Krung Kaeng Khieu Wan in Thailand. The ingredients in each are different, but most important is the emphasis.
Seasoning is fundamental to Trindad Indian cuisine, not just "another" interesting idea. Without it, as you will see from the recipes almost nothing can be cooked.
To a Trinidadian Indian, seasoning is generally made fresh for each meal. This is a very time consuming process involving a mortar and pestle. I have found that made up in batches and kept in jars in the fridge is the only practical way to always use seasoning. In fact this tastes superb, and keeps for a month.
In some dishes absolutely fresh seasoning creates a totally different taste, I have indicated these dishes.
Seasoning
Unless you are prepared to create your own seasoning, you will never recreate the authentic taste of this cuisine. It is not hard to do, and believe me is worth its weight in gold.
Seasoning can be made up in batches and stored in jars to be used as required. I have successfully made it in London. I am sure all the ingredients did not match those used in Trinidad, but are close enough to work the same magic. In Trinidad it is most often made in a mortar and pestle, but I have had excellent results using an electric food processor.
It must be kept in the fridge and will keep indefinitely. In large families in Trinidad it is made fresh daily, having made a batch you will appreciate why women had to spend all day on food in the past!
The ingredients to make up about three to six months supply are:-
1 Bunch Spring Onions (shallots)(8 oz)
1 Bunch Parsley (4oz)
1 Bunch Coriander(4oz)
4 oz Hot west Indian peppers, mixed red, green, and yellow
1 Bunch Thyme(4oz)
2 whole large garlics (4oz peeled)
3 oz White Vinegar
Preparation
Wash everything very thoroughly.
Add gradually to a food processor using as little vinegar as possible, consistent with the mixture actually processing. It will end up the consistency of bottled mint sauce. Bottle it and store in the fridge.
The mixture will keep indefinitely. Used fresh it imparts a very different flavour which is especially good with fish.
Sugar Caramel
This is another essential item for success whose origin is West Coast African.
Many Trinidad Indian dishes start with a small amount of oil in a rounded pot (a bit like a Wok) to which brown sugar is added (about a dessert spoon). The stove is turned high and as the oil gets hot it gradually turns the sugar to caramel.
When the sugar has turned brown and bubbles the food is added. This has the affect of darkening the mixture as well as flavouring.
Other ingredients
Each recipe will describe it own needs, but a general list would include:-
Tinned Italian tomatoes
Spring Onions
Onions
Hot peppers (red green and yellow, and round)
Chillies (long and green or red)
Curry powder (Rajah mild Madras if you want it right)
Soy Sauce (a good naturally fermented if you can get it, dark and tasty)
Crosse and Blackwells Browning
Sugar, salt pepper
Coriander seeds
Preparation
If you want to cook food that will authentically replicate a Trinidad Indian home, you must be prepared to spend time on preparation.
Cleanliness is as much a key ingredient as seasoning. A Trinidadian Indian seeing the way Europeans cook would be horrified by the lack of cleanliness.
Styles of Food
The food cooked and eaten by the descendents of the Indian immigration is an interesting mixture of the food of the region they left, and their attempts to replicate it, and the exposure they have had to the African and Chinese peoples of Trinidad, and the food they eat.
There are then at least four distinct cooking styles in Trinidad.
The European cooking of the planters, adapted for local products, this is not very much mixed with African or others, the food following the society.
The East Indians who mixed with the African and absorbed more of their style. This was not by desire, one of Trinidad's major race problems is between Indian and African descended people. But the jobs they were brought to do, field labour, forced close contact. In addition the Africans had learned to adapt their food to the local vegetable and herbs. They had cultivated these particularly the roots, such as sweet potato, yams and dasheen.
The Chinese mixed a little with both, but their cooking style has remained fairly distinct.
Finally the African cooking which is the most common and most written about of all Caribbean styles. African cooking evolved the most, they were exposed to European food as slaves and absorbed this, as well as the Indian and Chinese food which followed. African derived food in the Caribbean is a melting pot, although the origins in African coast food are still quite clear.
There are then at least four distinct cooking styles in Trinidad.
The European cooking of the planters, adapted for local products, this is not very much mixed with African or others, the food following the society.
The East Indians who mixed with the African and absorbed more of their style. This was not by desire, one of Trinidad's major race problems is between Indian and African descended people. But the jobs they were brought to do, field labour, forced close contact. In addition the Africans had learned to adapt their food to the local vegetable and herbs. They had cultivated these particularly the roots, such as sweet potato, yams and dasheen.
The Chinese mixed a little with both, but their cooking style has remained fairly distinct.
Finally the African cooking which is the most common and most written about of all Caribbean styles. African cooking evolved the most, they were exposed to European food as slaves and absorbed this, as well as the Indian and Chinese food which followed. African derived food in the Caribbean is a melting pot, although the origins in African coast food are still quite clear.
A brief background on Trinidad
Trinidad in common with most of the Caribbean was the home of the Arawak and Carib Indians.
In 1498 Christopher Columbus on his third transatlantic voyage sighted an island surmounted by three peaks and named it La Trinite. It was not until 1592 that the Spanish colonised the island and grew mostly tobacco and later cocao. The settlement remained small, often plundered by British and Dutch. St Joseph was the capital until 1757 when Puerto de Espana became the residence of the Spanish government.
In 1776 the Spanish began to actively seek to attract planters. The French revolution in Europe was unsettling many French possessions in the Caribbean creating the right conditions for emigration. By 1790 so many French planters had arrived and settled that the island had almost become French. It was during this period that Trindad began to change into the more traditional caribean slave based economy.
In 1797 the British at war with the French and Spanish took Trinidad without bloodshed. The slave based economy continued and flourished with sugar now as the mainstay through the emancipation of the slaves until the middle of the twentieth century and the oil dominated economy of inedpendence.
Emancipation of the African slave population officially took place on 1st August 1834, although it actually came into effect in 1838. The former slaves looked upon agricultural labour as demeaning and moved into the suberbs seeking other work. This movement away from agriculture is a consistent theme throughout the Caribbean even today. The descendents of the African slaves enjoying planting and tending their own small plot, but resisting employment in this area.
The economy of the islands, particularly Trinidad, was purely agricultural, and predominantly sugar. The emancipation was a nightmare for planters suddenly bereft of labour. They solved the problem by turning first to India and later to China.
In May 1845 the sailing ship Fatel Rozack arrived in Trinidad bringing over 200 immigrants from Calcutta, the first of the Indian immigrants.
These people were brought out under a scheme known as indentureship, by which a legal commitment was made that the arrivee must work for a total of 5 years before having any option to change jobs or seek alternative work.
This immigration continued until 1917 when the Indian government halted the scheme.
The Indians who arrived were mostly from the north east around Calcutta. In practice this meant from within Calcutta's catchment area which spreads up the valley of the Ganges, through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the Punjab.
Being a naturally industrious people on the completion of their indentureship many became traders and small businessmen.
The majority are Hindu although there is a large Moslem community. They remain largely in extended families which encourages the passing of traditions and cooking methods from generation to generation.
The style of life and family interaction are well documented by writers like V. S. and Shiva Naipaul and Sam Selvon.
In 1498 Christopher Columbus on his third transatlantic voyage sighted an island surmounted by three peaks and named it La Trinite. It was not until 1592 that the Spanish colonised the island and grew mostly tobacco and later cocao. The settlement remained small, often plundered by British and Dutch. St Joseph was the capital until 1757 when Puerto de Espana became the residence of the Spanish government.
In 1776 the Spanish began to actively seek to attract planters. The French revolution in Europe was unsettling many French possessions in the Caribbean creating the right conditions for emigration. By 1790 so many French planters had arrived and settled that the island had almost become French. It was during this period that Trindad began to change into the more traditional caribean slave based economy.
In 1797 the British at war with the French and Spanish took Trinidad without bloodshed. The slave based economy continued and flourished with sugar now as the mainstay through the emancipation of the slaves until the middle of the twentieth century and the oil dominated economy of inedpendence.
Emancipation of the African slave population officially took place on 1st August 1834, although it actually came into effect in 1838. The former slaves looked upon agricultural labour as demeaning and moved into the suberbs seeking other work. This movement away from agriculture is a consistent theme throughout the Caribbean even today. The descendents of the African slaves enjoying planting and tending their own small plot, but resisting employment in this area.
The economy of the islands, particularly Trinidad, was purely agricultural, and predominantly sugar. The emancipation was a nightmare for planters suddenly bereft of labour. They solved the problem by turning first to India and later to China.
In May 1845 the sailing ship Fatel Rozack arrived in Trinidad bringing over 200 immigrants from Calcutta, the first of the Indian immigrants.
These people were brought out under a scheme known as indentureship, by which a legal commitment was made that the arrivee must work for a total of 5 years before having any option to change jobs or seek alternative work.
This immigration continued until 1917 when the Indian government halted the scheme.
The Indians who arrived were mostly from the north east around Calcutta. In practice this meant from within Calcutta's catchment area which spreads up the valley of the Ganges, through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the Punjab.
Being a naturally industrious people on the completion of their indentureship many became traders and small businessmen.
The majority are Hindu although there is a large Moslem community. They remain largely in extended families which encourages the passing of traditions and cooking methods from generation to generation.
The style of life and family interaction are well documented by writers like V. S. and Shiva Naipaul and Sam Selvon.
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