Indo-Trinidadian

Vegetarian Recipes
Contents

Steamed Saheena...................................................................................................................................... 2

Roasted Coconut Chutney......................................................................................................................... 4

Baigan Chokha........................................................................................................................................... 5

Curried Green Tomatoes........................................................................................................................... 6

Bombay Potatoes...................................................................................................................................... 7

Stuffed Okra (Ochro)................................................................................................................................. 8

Hot lime Pickle........................................................................................................................................... 9

Mother-in-law (Pepper sauce)................................................................................................................. 10

Kalounji.................................................................................................................................................... 11

Curried Green Fig.................................................................................................................................... 12

Murtaani.................................................................................................................................................. 13

Urdi Bara.................................................................................................................................................. 14

Vermicelli cake......................................................................................................................................... 15

Chinouta (Spinach pancakes).................................................................................................................. 16

Roasted Ochro Choka.............................................................................................................................. 17

Roasted Fig Choka................................................................................................................................... 18

Pepper Choka.......................................................................................................................................... 19

Pitouri...................................................................................................................................................... 20

 
Steamed Saheena

Ingredients:

60 leaves of dasheen bush

1 head of garlic
1 onion
10 leaves of bhandhania
4 tomatoes
1 (1lb) package of dhal (split peas) flour
½ cup of white flour
1 tbsp of baking powder
1 tbsp of salt
2 tsp of tumeric (saffron) powder
1 hot pepper or 4 pimentoes to taste
4 cups water
 

Method for the paste:

1. Blend together the garlic, onion, bhandhania, tomatoes and hot pepper/pimentos until as
fine as possible. To assist in blending 1cup of water is also used in this mixture.

2. In a large bowl mix the dhal flour, white flour, tumeric, salt and then combine with
blended mixture and remaining water.

 Method for assembling the saheena:

1. Wash the dasheen leaves thoroughly. The bottom of the leaf s sharp and pointed. Remove.
At the middle of each leaf at the point where the leaf is connected to the stem there is a
raised thicker portion. Flatten with the use of a rolling pin.

2. Reserve about 10 of the largest leaves to be the outer layer of each saheena roll. Using
one of the larger leaves paste on the underside of the leaf so that paste lightly covers the
leaf. On the second layer ensure that the leaf is upside down when compared to the first
layer. ( if the first leaf is a heart then the second leaf is an upside down heart).Continue
for another five layers.

3. Place paste on the vertical sides of the leaf. Fold 2 inches inwards on each side.

4. Roll from the bottom tightly so that roll will not unravel.

5. Repeat for other rolls.

 
Method for the steaming of saheena rolls:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

1. Place saheena rolls on a cake cooling rack

2. Place cake cooling rack in a baking tray.

3. Place water in baking tray so that it reaches half way.

4. Cover entirely with aluminum foil.

5. Place in oven and check after 30 minutes to top up the water.

6. Saheena is cooked when a knife used to pierce it comes out clean. This should take about
45mins to 60mins.

To serve, let cool and slice. Serve with any chutney.

This steamed saheena may be used to make curried saheena and also it may be sliced (½ inch
thick) before steaming and fried to make traditional saheena.

 
 Roasted Coconut Chutney
     

Ingredients:
coconut meat - 1 dry coconut
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup bhandhania
2 tbsp lime juice

Method:

1.  Roast the coconut meat over a low flame until golden brown and smells toasted.

2. Peel off the hard brown outer coating, and then grate finely in a food processor.

3. Finely crush the garlic with the salt until paste is formed.

4. Add smashed garlic, bhandhania and lime juice and blend well.

 
Baigan Chokha

 Ingredients:
 1 large baigan
2 cloves garlic
hot pepper (optional)
1 onion, chopped
salt
 

Method:

1. Wash and dry baigan and rub lightly with cooking oil.

2. Stick garlic in baigan.

3. Place baigan under grill or in oven at 350 F., and bake (roast) until tender.
o

4. Remove from oven and split open. Scoop out center into bowl and season with chopped
onion, mashed garlic, salt.

5. Serve hot as a side dish or with roti.

If desired, onion, garlic and salt can be fried in 1 tbsp. Oil with a hot pepper and added to roasted
baigan.

  
Curried Green Tomatoes

 Ingredients:
 2 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Minced onion
1 tbsp. Curry powder
1 hot pepper (optional)
2 cups green tomatoes, sliced or cut in pieces
salt
 

Method:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add onion and cook slowly until yellow

2. Add curry powder and green tomatoes and cook slowly until curry has cooked and
mixture is hot

Season with salt. Serve with rice.

 Bombay Potatoes
 Servers 4-6

Ingredients:
1lb potatoes
salt to taste
1tsp tumeric (saffron) powder
4 tbsp vegetable oil
hot pepper to taste
6 curry leaves
2 onions, finely chopped
½ cup bhandhania
5 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
½ tsp each: geera, mustard, meti
 

Method: 

1. Cut the potatoes into pieces about the size of a 2cm cube

2. Heat the oil in frying pan and pepper, curry leaves geera, mustard, meti and pepper.

3. Add the potato, onion, garlic, tumeric and salt.

4. Reduce to heat to medium-low and cover pan.

5. Do not turn too often because the shape of the potatoes will not hold.

6. Turn once so that other side of potatoes is golden brown.

7. At the end add bhandhania and serve

Serve hot with sada roti.

 
 Stuffed Okra (Ochro)
An accompaniment to any dish
Serves 4-6
 

Ingredients:
8oz large ochroes
1 tbsp mango powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground geera (cumin)
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp tumeric (saffron) powder
salt to taste
a few drops of vegetable oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
 

Method:

1. Wash the ochroes and dry on a kitchen towel. Carefully trim off The tops without making
a hole. Using a sharp knife, make a slit lenght-ways in the entre of each ochro but do not
cut all the way through.

2. In a bowl, mix the geera, ginger, chili, tumeric, salt and few drops of oil. Leave the
mixture to rest for 1-2 hrs.

3. Using your fingers, part the slit on each ochro carefully and fill each with as much of the
filling as possible.

4. Place all the ochroes in a plastic bag and the cornstarch. Shake until all ochroes are
covered.

5. Put oil in frying pan so that it has a depth of 2.5cm

6. Heat oil and fry ochroes in batches until they are brown and slightly crisp.

 Serve immediately with plain yogurt.

 
Hot lime Pickle

Ingredients:
25 limes
8oz salt
2oz meti powder
2oz mustard powder
5oz chili powder
½ oz tumeric
2 ½ cups mustard oil
5 cloves of garlic
1 oz yellow mustard seeds
 Note: If the meti powder, mustard powder cannot be found then the respective seeds can be
ground in a coffee grinder

Method:

1. Cut each lime into 8 pieces and remove pits. Place the lime in a large sterilised jar or
glass bowl. Add salt and toss with the limes. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1-2
weeks until they become soft and dull brown in colour.

2. Mix together the meti, mustard and chili powder and tumeric and add to the limes.

3. Heat the mustard oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic and mustard seeds. When the oil
reaches smoking point add it to the limes. Mix well, cover with a clean cloth and leave in
a warm place for about a week before serving.

 Can be served as a condiment to any meal.

  
Mother-in-law (Pepper sauce)
 

Ingredients:
2 large carrots
2 green caraili
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic (minced)
3 large hot peppers
juice from 1 or 2 limes
salt to taste
1 green pommecythere or green mango if desired
2 tbs white vinegar
5 leaves bhandhania (ground)

 Method:

 Cut up all ingredients into small cubes and then add the lime juice, salt, garlic and the vinegar
and mix well.

 
Kalounji
 

Ingredients:
3 caraili
2 or 3 tbsp massala
salt and pepper
3 onions
5 cloves garlic (minced)
2tbsp ground geera
tamarind (1/8 cup) paste
4 tomatoes
 

Method: 

1. Wash caraili and cut along the long side. The opposite side must not be cut.

2. Remove seeds and tips.

3. Cube the onions and tomatoes.

4. Fry the onion, garlic, pepper in hot oil until onion is light brown in colour.

5. Add tomatoes and tamarind paste along with salt and geera off the fire.

6. Cool. Fill the cavity with the mixture. Secure the open edge with skewers of thread.

7. Fry the caraili in covered pot until tender and brown.

8. Drain on absorbent paper and serve with rice or roti.

 
Curried Green Fig
 

Ingredients:
2 lbs green fig (bananas)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp curry powder
1 onion (minced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups coconut milk
hot pepper and salt to taste
 

Method: 

1. Peel green fig and slice crosswise ¼ inch thick.

2. Heat oil and saute curry powder with ¼ cup water; add onion, garlic and cook until water
has evaporated and a paste forms in pot.

3. Add sliced fig and continue to cook for about 5-10 minutes or until fig starts to stick to
the pan.

4. Pour in coconut milk, salt and pepper.

5. Lower heat and simmer until fig is tender.

Serve with roti

 Murtaani

 Ingredients:
2 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
1 lb tomatoes
1 lb bhaigan
2 tsp salt
5-8 green hot peppers
2-3 tbsp oil
 Note: Roasting of tomatoes, bhaigan and peppers can be on a broiler or on the stove top on an
open flame or rack

Method: 

1. Completely mash all the roasted vegetables when they have cooled.

2. Add salt and minced garlic

3. Finely chop onions

4. Saute onions in oil until golden brown and add to roasted vegetable mixture.

 Served as an accompaniment to meals. The amount of peppers used inceases the heat. Also more
onions would add a sweeter taste.

 
Urdi Bara

Ingredients:
 1 cup urdi dhall
½ cup white flour
½ tsp saffron powder
3 cloves garlic (minced)
hot pepper (minced)
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground geera
3 tsp baking powder
water
 

Method: 

1. In a large bowl mix urdi dhall, flour, baking powder, salt, geera, saffron powder, garlic
and hot pepper.

2. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Cover and allow to rest for ½ hour or more.

3. To shape bara take a rounded tbsp of dough and pat with both hands to flatten to about ¼
inch thickness. Dip hands in water if dough sticks to hands.

4. Heat oil and quickly slip bara into hot oil and fry until set turning once. Edges might get
brown. Drain on kitchen towel and keep warm.

 Serve with curried channa and or mango chutney.

  
Vermicelli cake

Ingredients:
5 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
4 ozs broken vermicelli
½ tsp ground elichie
6 tbsps granulated sugar
2 tbsps raisins
6 maraschino cherries, chopped walnuts, almonds
 

Method: 

1. Heat butter in saucepan. Add vermicelli and elichie and patch until golden brown.

2. Add milk and boil for about 10-15 mins.

3. Add sugar, raisins and cherries.

4. Continue to boil for another 10-15 mins stirring constantly.

5. When mixture becomes thick remove from heat and pour into a heat proof dish.

6. Smooth the top and leave to cool.

7. Cut into squares to serve.

 
Chinouta (Spinach pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 1lb package of dhall flour
1 onion
1 head of garlic
4 cups of poui bhagi (spinach)
2 hot peppers
10 leaves bhandhania
salt to taste
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
water
Oil
 

Method: 

1. Blend all seasonings finely.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Slice the bhagi into ½ cm wide strips

4. Mix bhagi, seasoning, dry ingredients and water unlike mixture is of the consistency
of pancake batter.

5. Using a non-stick frying pan or on a skillet or “tawa” place on medium heat.

6. Use very little oil in pan to ensure no sticking. (1 tsp)

7. Laddle mixture into pan and with the use of a wet spoon spread out batter as thinly as
possible.

8. Pancake is ready to turn when bubbles appear on the top. But cover the pan whilst
cooking to ensure that pancake cooks. (3-4 mins)

Serve hot with any chutney and/or tomatoes choka.

Poui bhagi can be replaced by patchoi or even cabbage. The cabbage however would have to be
sliced very finely so that it would cook.

  
Roasted Ochro Choka

 Ingredients:
 Young green ohroes (20)
2 onions
4 grains garlic
1 hot pepper
bhandhania (3 leaves)
oil
salt to taste
 

Method: 

1. On an open low flame roast ochroes until dark brown- black.

2. When roasted scrape slightly some of the char from the ochroes.

3. Mash well in a mixing bowl.

4. Saute chopped onions, garlic and pepper in oil until golden brown.

5. Add salt, sauted mixture and minced bhandhania to crushed ochroes.

Serve with roti

  
Roasted Fig Choka

Ingredients:
Green fig (10)
2 onions
8 grains garlic
1 hot pepper
bhandhania (6 leaves)
oil
salt to taste

 Method:

1. Boil green fig in skins until ¾ cooked. Allow to cool and peel.

2. On an open low flame roast fig until dark brown- black.

3. When roasted scrape slightly some of the char from the figs.

4. Mash well in a mixing bowl.

5. Saute chopped onions, garlic and pepper in oil until golden brown.

6. Add salt, sauted mixture and minced bhandhania to crushed roasted figs.

Serve with roti

 
Pepper Choka 

Ingredients:
 green hot peppers (20)
2 onions
5 grains garlic
bhandhania (10 leaves)
oil
salt to taste
 

Method:

1. On an open low flame roast peppers until dark brown- black.

2. Crush bhandhania, garlic, pepper with the salt on a bowl.

3. Saute chopped onions and garlic in oil until golden brown.

4. Add sauted mixture to crushed pepper mixture.

Serve as a condiment to any meal.

  
Pitouri

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked pigeon peas

1 lb cleaned saime

2 tbsp curry powder

1 ½ onions minced

8 grains garlic

10 leaves bhandhania minced

salt and hot pepper to taste

Dhall flour (2/3 lb)

All purpose flour (1/3 lb)

1tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp oil

Method for the dough for the dumplings: 

1. Combine dry ingredients well, including salt to taste.

2. Knead dry ingredients well with water until dough is the consistency of dough for roti.

 Method for dish: 

1. In a medium sized heated saucepan add oil and the curry and minced seasoning.

2. Saute well and until sticking and then add 1 cup water.

3. Keep on fire until all water has evaporated. Add saime and peas.

4. Saute until this begins to stick. Add water so that the water covers the saime and peas by
2 thumb lengths. Simmer until water has reduced by half.

5. With the use of a rolling pin flatten and cut the dough into 1 inch squares.

6. Place into pot and continue cooking until all the liquid has absorbed from the pan.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature with any chutney.