This super easy Tomato Choka recipe is a vegan aromatic Trinidadian breakfast dish consisting of garlic, onion, pepper combined with roasted tomato served with sada roti. A great way to use up some leftover tomatoes along with some accessible ingredients.
Tomato choka is one of those dishes that is tasty yet very simple to make.
If you are looking for a recipe that doesn’t take hours to prepare, delicious and transports you to the Caribbean then this recipe is what you need.
It’s naturally low in fat, carbohydrates, vegan, paleo and gluten free.
My version of tomato choka
This recipe is inspired by my family friend from Trinidad and Tobago. The great thing about having friends from various islands is being able to learn how that specific island makes their recipes. Like this amazingly good Trinidad Corn Soup.
This is the method that I saw her make her choka and then sandwiched it into some sada roti.
I have tweaked the recipe to suit my personal taste buds by adding some black pepper and I also like to chongkay the tomatoes by adding the onion to the oil along with some of the garlic.
I’m not a huge fan of the taste of raw onions, which is how most tomato choka recipes are made and then the oil is drizzled over it.
What is choka
In short choka is used to describe a culinary method where a vegetable in most cases is roasted, usually on an open flame to impart a very deep flavour.
The vegetable is then peeled and mashed to a puree and combined with peppers, onion and garlic and oil is heated up on a type of ladle called a kalchul and used to chongkay (to heat the liquid and drizzle) it.
There are many different types of choka variations out there including;
- Baigan (eggplant) choka
- Aloo (Potato) choka
- Zaboca (avocado) choka
- Eddo (taro/dasheen) choka
- Sardine choka
Ingredients for will need
- Tomato: You need large tomatoes to make the recipe, don’t use the small cherry/plum ones.
- Onion: Sliced yellow onions, be sure to slice them quite finely.
- Garlic: Be sure to chop the garlic up quite small but don’t mince it.
- Scotch bonnet: Any coloured scotch bonnet works, just make sure to use the skin only if you don’t care for the heat
- Black pepper (optional): Not mandatory but this gives a slight kick.
- Pink salt: Used as a flavour enhancer
How to make tomato choka
- Wash and blot the tomatoes dry (Picture 1).
- Grab a baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with aluminium foil.
- Place the tomatoes evenly spaced out on the tray and broil/grill for 10 minutes or until the skin is charred and splits (Picture 2).
- While the tomatoes are being broiled/grilled, place 2 of the garlic cloves into a pestle and mortar (use a masher/blender if you don’t have one) along with the skin of the scotch bonnet and pink salt (Picture 3).
- Mash into a smooth paste and set aside (Picture 4 & 5).
- Once the tomatoes have cooled down enough, peel off the skin so the pulp is left and place the tomatoes along with the garlic/scotch bonnet pepper/salt paste in a medium sized bowl (Picture 6).
- Use the pestle/masher/fork to breakdown the tomatoes (Picture 7 & 8).
- Add the coconut oil to a frying pan (or kalcul) on medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic until slightly golden (Picture 9).
- Chongkay (drizzle over) the oil with the onion and garlic onto the tomato mixture and stir in the black pepper.
- Serve accordingly (Picture 10).
Notes and tips
- In respect to the scotch bonnet, make sure to use the skin only. The heat is in the seeds/membrane if you want a fiery choka then add some of the seeds and membrane.
- For best results/deep flavour grill/broil the tomatoes.
- Use a fork/masher to breakdown the tomatoes. It’s best to do it by hand NOT using a blender etc.. that will loosen up the thickness of the choka too much.
- If you wish to make the GF roti use this tutorial guide. Flour blends such a Bob Red Mills should work too.
- If you can’t get hold of scotch bonnet use a habanero pepper instead.
More recipes from Trinidad and Tobago that you may like
Channa and aloo (chickpeas and potatoes)
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Tomato Choka
Ingredients
- 8 - 10 large tomatoes
- 1 small onion sliced finely
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- Scotch bonnet deseeded
- 1/2 tsp black pepper optional
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 4 tbsp of coconut oil
Instructions
- Wash and blot the tomatoes dry.
- Grab a baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with aluminium foil.
- Place the tomatoes evenly spaced out on the tray and broil/grill for 10 minutes or until the skin is charred and splits.
- While the tomatoes are being broiled/grilled, place 2 of the garlic cloves into a pestle and mortar (use a masher/blender if you don't have one) along with the skin of the scotch bonnet and pink salt.
- Mash into a smooth paste and set aside.
- Once the tomatoes have cooled down enough, peel off the skin so the pulp is left and place the tomatoes along with the garlic/pepper/salt paste in a medium sized bowl.
- Use the pestle/masher/fork to breakdown the tomatoes.
- Add the coconut oil to a frying pan (or kalcul) on medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic until slightly golden.
- Chongkay (drizzle over) the oil with the onion and garlic onto the tomato mixture and stir in the black pepper.
- Serve accordingly
Notes
- In respect to the scotch bonnet, make sure to use the skin only. The heat is in the seeds/membrane if you want a fiery choka then add some of the seeds and membrane.
- For best results/deep flavour grill/broil the tomatoes.
- Use a fork/masher to breakdown the tomatoes. It's best to do it by hand NOT using a blender etc.. that will loosen up the thickness of the choka too much.
- If you wish to make the GF roti use this tutorial guide. Flour blends such a Bob Red Mills should work too.
- If you can't get hold of scotch bonnet use a habanero pepper instead.
Nutrition
Dear Charla
I love your blog and the pictures are absolutely speaking in volumes.
I make this recipe in Indian version to go with chapathis for a easy subtle dinner,but I like your recipe with a twist_ adding roasted tomatoes and what a good way to kick start the breakfast where I bellieve one must start a day with a king size breakfast plus it’s chilly.
Thanks for such a lovely recipe.
Will try it!
Thank you
This sounds delicious! I haven’t tried anything similar to it before. I bet it’s so warming with that scotch bonnet chilli it would be perfect on a cold day!
Yes definitely something to keep you warm during the winter time.
Drooling over this tomato recipe. Cant wait to try this out.
Thank you
So fun!! Glad I’ve found a new recipe I didn’t know about! Thanks for sharing!
You are most welcome
I was just talking to my mother-in-law about the best way to use up all of the tomatoes she has in her garden. I will be sending her this recipe! I love heat in a dish, so the scotch bonnets are right up my alley.
Yay! your mother in law will love this recipe
I’ve never heard of choka but it sounds really good. I usually have most of these ingredients and roasted tomatoes I’m sure elevates the flavor. I would definitely eat this for breakfast or even as a yummy appetizer.
Thanks Stephanie. It definitely could double up as an appetizer as well as breakfast.
This sounds so tasty! Sautéing the onions first sounds like an excellent way to mellow the flavors AND add more depth to the flavor profile. Excellent!
The sauteed onion method is a HUGE GAME CHANGER!