Recipe from Code Noir by Lelani Lewis
Choka is not so much a dish, but rather a cooking method. Much like stewing is a technique to prepare meat, choka involves roasting vegetables over fire to give them a unique smoky flavor. Baigan is loosely derived from the Hindi word for eggplant. Baigan choka is primarily eaten in Trinidad, typically for breakfast, served alongside a flaky roti. The smoky eggplant pairs wonderfully with creamy tun (another word for polenta) laced with coconut.
2 eggplants (approximately 18 ounces or 500 grams)
1 tomato
3 cloves of garlic
¾ teaspoon of vegetable ghee (or clarified butter)
¾ teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika powder
⅛ teaspoon of frozen grated Scotch bonnet pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE COCONUT TUN
¾ cup (200 ml) of coconut milk
~ ¾ cup (150 grams) of fine polenta
1 vegetable bouillon cube
3 tablespoons of cream cheese
~ ½ cup (100 grams) of Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE TADKA
1 shallot
1 clove of garlic
1/4 ounce (5 grams) of ginger
½ cup (120 ml) of vegetable ghee (or clarified butter)
~ ½ teaspoon (2 grams) of dried rawit or chili pepper, to taste
¾ teaspoon of smoked paprika powder
Start by roasting the eggplants: place them over the gas flame of your stove until the exterior is completely charred, turning them halfway through. This process will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Do the same with the tomato. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can place the eggplants and tomato in the hot coals of a barbecue or roast them in a hot oven for 50 minutes—though you will miss out on the smoky flavor.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 355°F (175°C). Wrap the unpeeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil and place them in the oven for 15 minutes. When done, they should be completely soft, and you can easily squeeze out the insides.
Gently rub off the blackened skin from the eggplants and tomato. Place them with the garlic on a cutting board and chop them into a coarse mixture. Add the ghee, cumin, smoked paprika, and Scotch bonnet, and season with salt and black pepper. Chop and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
For the tun, heat the coconut milk in a medium pan over low heat. Let it simmer for 7 minutes. Then slowly add the polenta, stirring gently. Dissolve the bouillon cube in 3/4 cup (200 ml) warm water and add, stirring constantly until you achieve a thick, soft consistency. Lastly, add the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
For the tadka, finely chop the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Heat the ghee for 5 minutes in a small saucepan: the oil must be very hot before you add the rest of the ingredients. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, rawit or chili pepper, and paprika powder to the pan and cook until the garlic browns, approximately
5 minutes. Ensure the garlic and shallot don’t burn; otherwise, the tadka will turn bitter.
Scoop the polenta into bowls, top with choka, and finish with a drizzle of the tadka.
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