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Taste of Trini

"A lil spoonful of Trinidad and Tobago in New York"

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Welcome to TasteofTrini!

Hi food enthusiasts and people who just love scrumptious food. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for delectable American, Trinidadian and West Indian dishes. I will also focus on a lot of spicy food for all you pepper lovers. Continue reading “Welcome to TasteofTrini!” →

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Gulgula (Fig/ Banana Fritters) | Taste of Trini | Desserts

Gulgula is a Trinidadian dessert made with Bananas or figs as we call it here, however in India, it’s a mini donut without the banana. It’s made mainly with the overripe Bananas/figs so if you have those black looking bananas lying around, have no fear, it’s not useless. The good thing about this dessert is that the more overripe they are is the sweeter they are which means you barely have to add extra sugar. Here’s how I make mine.

 

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups of flour

1/4 cup of brown sugar (more to your preference)

4 ripe or overripe bananas (I used 6 chiquito figs, 2 silk figs and 1 regular banana)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp vanilla essence (1/2 tsp vanilla extract) 

 

Continue reading “Gulgula (Fig/ Banana Fritters) | Taste of Trini | Desserts” →

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Lapsi and Suhari (Dessert) | Navratri Offering to Mother Durga

 The word Navaratri means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi (Goddess Durga) are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or “Dussehra” (also spelled Dasera). (Wikipedia.com) The Goddess loves this dessert and this is why we offer it to her when we do Pooja.

 

Lapsi and Suhari is like a sandwich made of roti and a milky, sweet, creamy filling on the inside. I can see why Mother Durga loves it so much, she has good taste J

This recipe will make exactly 10 pairs of Lapsi and Suhari.

For the Suhari, you’ll need:

2 cups flour

2 tablespoon ghee/clarified butter

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups ghee/clarified butter

 

For the Lapsi, you’ll need:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon of cardamom (elychee)

5-6 cloves

2 tablespoon ghee/clarified butter

1 Siliment leaf or West Indian Bay leaf

1 cup of water

 

Continue reading “Lapsi and Suhari (Dessert) | Navratri Offering to Mother Durga” →

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Buss-up-Shut and Malida

Hi everyone! Since Eid is quickly approaching, I decided to do a simple and quick dessert that is usually enjoyed at this time. This has to be my most favorite Eid dessert other than Sawine. This is made by pounding or flaking buss-up-shut or paratha roti and mixing it with condensed milk, coconut and spices. It’s so yummy!!

Here are the ingredients:

This recipe will yield 50 Malidas.

For the Buss-up-Shut:
3 1/2 cups of flour
3 1/2 tsps of baking powder
1 tbsp of ghee to knead the dough and more for cooking the roti
1 1/2 tbsp crisco or cookeen and more for cooking the roti
1 1/2 tbsp of full cream milk powder
1 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tsp salt
water to knead a soft dough

For the Malida:
3 Buss-up-Shut/Paratha roti
1 whole dry coconut, grated finely
1/4 cup of condensed milk or more if you want
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsps vanilla essence
1 tbsp butter
raisins, cherries or nuts (optional)

 

Here’s my video showing how I made the Malidas:

 

Enjoy,

With Love and a Taste of TriniTrinidad-and-Tobago-Flag-Heart

 

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Breadfruit Chips

Hi everyone! Sorry about being away from my blog for so long. Today’s recipe is one of my  most loved childhood snacks, breadfruit chips. Breadfruit is used in Trinidad and Tobago, the other Caribbean Islands and is also grown in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America and the Pacific Ocean. It can be cooked in many ways (Oil down, roasted, fried etc). Here’s one of my favorite ways to use breadfruit. These chips are well seasoned and flavorful and yet it’s so simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients:

2 Mature-Ripe Breadfruits
2 tsps salt
10-12 leaves of shadon beni/bhandanya
10 cloves/ 1 head of garlic
1 hot pepper
oil to fry

 

Step 1:

Pick or buy a Mature to Ripe Breadfruit.

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Step 2:

Use right away or submerge in water overnight to decline the ripening process. When ready to use, cut in half and then quarters.

 

pic 1

 

Step 3:

Carve out the core of the breadfruit where you see the minute black seeds and peel the skin off.

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Step 4:

Now cut into strips, to the thickness that you want ( I prefer mine crispy so I cut it very thin).

pic3

 

Step 5:

Blend shadon beni/bhandanya, garlic, hot pepper and a little bit of water in a blender or food processor (no need to add water). Season the breadfruit slices with salt and the green seasoning that you blended. Mix well to coat each piece of the breadfruit. Leave it to soak in the seasonings for about 45 mins to an hour.

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Step 5:

After it’s marinated for a while, put some oil to heat up in a frying pan and fry these babies for about 12 minutes, 6 minutes on each side ( on medium high heat) until it’s a nice golden brown color.

pic6pic7

 

Step 5:

Drain on papers towels, and eat like a glutton (well atleast that’s what I do).

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ENJOY!

Here’s the video which shows step by step what I did:

With love and a spoonful of Trini,

Reshmi

 

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Shrimp Wantons: Trini Style

This is one of the ultimate Trini appetizers or snacks. It’s another recipe with a strong Asian influence, but as always we put our own Trini kick to it. It can also be made with chicken or veggies.

Here’s how I make mine.

Ingredients:

  • 1lb peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1 lemon
  • wanton wrappers
  • 1 cup of green seasoning
  • soy sauce
  • black pepper
  • sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • salt to taste

For the dipping sauce

  • soy sauce
  • ketchup
  • mustard
  • horse radish sauce
  • salt
  • sugar
  • pepper sauce
  • green seasoning

 

Method:

  1. Wash shrimp well with half of the lemon. Chop in the food processor until it forms a paste.
  2. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice to the paste and mix well.
  3. Add grated ginger, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 3/4 of the green seasoning mixture. Mix well.
  4. Put a pot half-filled with oil on medium-low heat and let it heat up while you fill your wanton wrappers.
  5. Add about 1 tsp of the filling to a wanton wrapper. Add a little dab of water to the edges and fold into a triangle, sealing the edges. Hold the 2 pointed edges and stick together with a little water.
  6. When your oil is heated, add the wantons to the pot and let it fry for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Dipping sauce:

  • Add 1 tbsp of ketchup to the reserved green seasoning.
  • Add 1 tsp of horse radish paste, about 2 tsps of hot water and mix well. Add a dash of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of white sugar, 1 tsp of mustard and salt to taste. You can also add some pepper sauce for more kick.

Enjoy!

Check out my video on how to make this:

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Pepper Shrimp

Hey guys!

This recipe is a typical Trini Sunday dish! Due to the strong Asian influence in Trinidad and Tobago, this dish is a fusion of cultures. It has a Trini kick to it ( Green Seasoning and Hot pepper) and it’s quite fiery, just how we love it on the islands!

If you can’t handle the heat, stay far from this one.

Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of large shrimp (deveined)
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper
  • 4-5 pimento peppers, chopped finely (or Jalapenos or Serrano)
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (or to your taste)
  • A few slices of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 of a red onion
  • Scallion or Chive, chopped finely (for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup of celery, chopped finely
  • 1/2 cup green seasoning
  • Sesame oil
  • Ketchup
  • 1 Lemon

 

Method:

  1. Wash shrimp with lemon juice and water. Make sure the fresh smell has gone away.
  2. Season shrimp with about 1 tsp of salt, the chopped pimento peppers, 3/4 of the green seasoning mixture, 1 tbsp of ketchup and mix well.
  3. Let this marinate for an hour or cook right away.
  4. Add 1/2 tbsp canola oil to your wok. Add ginger slices and let it fry for about 1 minute. Then add hot pepper and onion. Let this fry for about 1/2 minute and add a tsp of ketchup.
  5. Now add the shrimp and stir well. Let this cook for about 2 minutes and add the rest of seasoning along with 2 tbsp of water to create a gravy. Let this cook for about 2-3 minutes more until the all the shrimp have turned pink and the gravy has thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
  6. Enjoy!

 

Check out my YouTube video where I demonstrate how to create this dish:

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Trinidad Pholourie

This amazing Trinidadian street snack/appetizer will have you dribbling for more!

If you remember the days when you could go by de parlour down de road and buy 10 of these for a dollar then you’re true Trini! I remember it used to be soaked in chutney and that’s all I used to spend my money on in school.

One of my really good friends back in Trini shared this recipe with me and I practiced many times until I was good at it.
Try it and tell me what you think!

 

 

Ingredients:

5 cups of all purpose flour 

1/2 cup of ground dhal or split peas powder

2 tbsps tumeric or saffron powder

5 tsps of yeast

5 tsps green seasoning 

1 tbsp salt

3-4 cups of water 

6 cups of oil for frying

Continue reading “Trinidad Pholourie” →

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Tofu and Spinach in Coconut Milk

This extremely delicious and flavorful Spinach and Tofu (Bean curd) dish, is great for Vegetarians. It’s high in nutrients and really easy on the taste buds. This is a recipe I created and I gave it a lil’ Trini kick (bandanya/shadon beni). It’s my Trini version of the East Indian dish- Saag Paneer.
Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

6-8 cups of canola oil (for frying the tofu)

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 Packs of Firm or Extra Firm Tofu

2 packets of Sazon Goya con culantro y achiote (or salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic or garlic powder, dried ground coriander seed, cumin, oregano and ground annatto seeds)

1/2 of an onion chopped finely

1 head of garlic chopped finely

1/2 of a hot pepper, chopped

4 leaves of shadon beni/bandanya/recao/culantro (or cilantro if you can’t find this) chopped. 

1 big bag of Spinach

1 tbsp of plain yogurt

1/2 can of coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste 

Prep:

Wash and dry tofu. Chop into small bite size cubes. Season with the Sazon and leave it to marinate for about 30 minutes. Then fry it until it shrinks to half its size and develops a nice crisp on the outside. Set aside into a well lined plate or bowl to drain the excess oil.

Wash spinach thoroughly and let it drain until you’re ready to use it.

  1. Add the coconut oil to your pan, which is placed on low heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and saute it for about 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, place spinach into the pan and add about 1 tsp of salt and a dash of black pepper. Add the half can of coconut milk at this point. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 20 mins.
  2. At this point, the spinach will reduce significantly. Use your potato masher and mash the spinach to break it down further. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan now and the yogurt. Stir well and then add the chopped shadon beni. Now, add the fried tofu. Stir it, cover the pan and raise the heat to high.
  3. When it comes to a rapid boil, take the cover off and let it simmer and reduce. When it has reduced and becomes thick, turn off and Enjoy!

This can be enjoyed with Rice, Roti or by itself.

Check out my YouTube video where this is much easier to understand:

With love and a spoonful of honey,

Taste of Trini ❤

3

Curry Chicken

If you know anything about the islands, you know that Curry is one of the few spices that our Indian Ancestors brought over here. This is why Curry chicken is so famous especially in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica and each country has their own unique way of preparing it.
This is the way I grew up cooking curry chicken and I wanted to share it with you.
Hope you enjoy it! This extremely flavorful chicken can be enjoyed by itself or with rice or roti.

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Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 1/2 lbs of Chicken

1 cup of Caribbean Green Seasoning (https://youtu.be/fVTVnEQIdG0) 

1 tsp of salt

Dash of black pepper

1 hot pepper, chopped (optional)

1 whole head of garlic (diced finely)

1/2 of a large onion chopped or a whole small or medium onion

4-5 curry or karapillai leaves

1 Tbsp madras curry powder

1 tsp amchar masala powder

1 tsp tumeric powder

1 tsp roasted ground geera (cumin)

Prep:

Clean and wash chicken with lemon, lime or vinegar.

Season it with 1/2 cup of green seasoning, 1 tsp salt and a dash of black pepper and leave it to marinate for a few hours. If you can’t leave it to marinate, that’s totally fine. You can use it right away.

  1. Add the canola to your hot pan/pot. Add onion, pepper, garlic and karapillai leaves and saute for 2 minutes.
  2. After 2 minutes, add curry and other spices into the pan. Stir it into the oil until it gets to a grainy texture. Add a little bit of water and let it simmer and cook. Let this mixture cook well. (Uncooked curry leads to an angry bowel and acid reflux) When this turns into a thick paste and starts sticking to the pan, add your chicken.
  3. When the chicken is added, mix it well to coat each piece of that chicken with the yummy curry paste. Leave it on high heat to do its thing. It will release its natural juices at this point. Let it cook for about 10 minutes until it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Now, add a few cups of water to cover the chicken. Now cover your pot/pan and leave it to cook for 30 mins.
  5. Atfer 30 mins, remove the cover and add 1/2 cup of green seasoning to the pot. Now, let this reduce without the cover, until the gravy is at the consistency that you want. Some people prefer a thinner gravy while others prefer it thicker.
  6. After about 15 mins of cooking now, add some salt to taste.
  7. Enjoy!  You can have this alone or with rice or roti.

Check out my Curry Chicken video below.

With love and a spoonful of honey,

Taste of Trini ❤

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