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Coconut choka
Roasted coconut and garlic relish
Coconut choka: flame-roasted coconut ground with garlic, onion and hot pepper
Coconut choka is a smoky Indo-Trinidadian relish from villages in central and south Trinidad, eaten for breakfast or dinner with soft sada roti: pieces of dry coconut are roasted over an open flame until charred in spots, then ground with garlic, onion and hot pepper. It is nutty, smoky and fiery, and needs nothing else but the roti and a cup of tea. The common mistake is only warming the coconut; without proper black spots and a toasted smell it tastes raw. Chef's tip: scrape off only the thickest burnt bits before grinding, since a little char is the whole point. Wear gloves or wash your hands well after handling the hot pepper.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz dry brown coconut fleshfrom about half a coconut, in large pieces
- 2 garliccloves
- ¼ onionsmall, roughly chopped
- ¼ scotch bonnet or other hot pepperseeds removed, or to taste
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp culantro (chadon beni) or coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Crack the coconut, pour off the water and prise out the flesh in large pieces with a blunt knife. This is the slowest part, so allow 5–8 minutes; shop-bought fresh coconut pieces save time.
8 minStep 2: Hold the pieces of 5 ½ oz dry brown coconut flesh with tongs directly over a gas flame, or lay them under a very hot grill, turning, until blackened in spots all over and smelling toasty, 6–8 minutes.
8 minStep 3: Cool for a minute, then scrape off any thick burnt crust and chop the coconut roughly.
Step 4: Grind or pulse the coconut with 2 garlic, ¼ onion, ¼ scotch bonnet or other hot pepper and ½ tsp salt in a mortar or small food processor until it looks like coarse, moist crumbs. Stir in 1 tbsp culantro (chadon beni) or coriander and serve with sada roti.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does coconut choka take?
- About 18 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 8 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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