Baoka (eggplant) Choka and Choka Potatoes are not complicated things to do. They are quick, easy and always delicious. The most ‘technical’ part of making Baigan Choka is roasting the eggplants on fire. For extra flavor, we generally stuff sliders from garlic to cuts made all over the vegetables. After roasting and removing the charred skin, the pulp is mashed with finely chopped hot pepper, scallops, salt and a drop of hot oil. If you want to be fancy, add a fire-roasted tomato. For Choka Potatoes – boiled mashed potatoes along with salt, finely chopped hot peppers and thinly sliced shells or onions. There we are. Really. This was my original plan last week when I decided to make these two Choka (s) along with Sada roti. However, somewhere along the way, I decided that I was going to make pickled onions for the Choka (s), season them with fried and oiled garlic as well as ground geera ( cumin). As I sat down to eat and taste the food, I got a bit foggy and wondered when I might be able to visit Guyana again as another lockdown in Barbados looms. It is here as I write this column.
One of the beneficial things about cooking is not only the freedom to adapt things to suit your tastes, but also how making the smallest changes can improve the taste. Yes, I know that some of those same changes and adjustments can make things worse (laughs). I am aware that raw onion and garlic bite can be unpleasant, and at times, when left to sit in foods if not eaten immediately, or kept in certain conditions, spoilage can occur, or as we say, ‘make the food sour’. Unless I’m entertained, most of the time I cook for one, so there’s always leftovers, so I’m aware of some raw ingredients in combination with others in dishes. I don’t know if that was the main reason for me picking the onions and frying the garlic or if I wanted to change things up a bit, for whatever reason, my tastes were grateful.
The pickle onions blended the sharpness of the onions and added complimentary tartness to both Choka (s) – I added some of the pickling liquid as well! The textured crunch in the Baigan Choka came from the light onion flavor of scallop heads and blades. Pouring a small amount of smoky hot oil over the hot pepper mince and scallops on top of the Baoka Choka, meant that it was also infused with flavored oil.
Unlike Baigan Choka which has a highly scented and aromatic smoky element and can stand on its own, Choka Potatoes need a bit more work. As I mentioned right now, I added pickled onions and some of the juice to the Choka and mixed in it well. But the flavoring didn’t end there. I first topped the Potato Choka with sliced scallions, hot pepper mince and sprinkle of freshly crushed geera, then I fried thinly sliced garlic in oil and poured the hot oil infused with garlic and together with the garlic all over the Choka then mix it all in. The smell of the fried garlic mixed with that of the heated geera was very tasty.
Now here’s the thing, whenever I make any kind of Choka or chutney, I like to let it sit for a while so the flavors could melt / establish, about half an hour. Try this the next time you make Choka or chutney and you will taste the difference. Or maybe you already do if you had leftover food that you ate the next day. I find that these types of dishes are best served at room temperature.
As the Choka Potatoes sit, the once crispy garlic softens adding more flavor to the Choka.
To make the oil impregnate with the garlic flavor, you want to add the oil and garlic to the metal pan or lid, cool. Place them over medium low heat so that it cooks slowly and gently. Let the garlic cook until the edges start to change color, light brown then remove from the heat and pour over the Choka immediately. You can also use this method for Baigan Choka if you do not want to stuff the eggplant with slices of garlic before roasting.
Pickling the onions is simple – finely chop onions (white, yellow or purple), sprinkle with salt to taste and add freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, stir and let it sit as you go roast the eggplant and boil the potatoes.
The little things that make a big difference, don’t you think?
Have a good weekend everyone.
Cynthia
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