Recipes

Trinidad and Tobago recipes have been influenced by the various countries that have settled here. Each culture brought their culinary traditions and with every successive generation these dishes have been combined and evolved to create these delicious local recipes

Remember to check back here every month for our featured recipe

Saheena
 

Recipe: (from TriniGourmet.com)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb split pea flour
  • 1 lb all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 lb frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tsp yeast (dissolved in ½ cup of water with 1 tsp. of sugar)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 8 cloves of garlic, minced

METHOD:

  • Mix flours, salt, curry powder, onion, cumin, garlic and dissolved yeast mixture
  • Add chopped spinach and mix to combine (make sure spinach is evenly dispersed)
  • Add water and mix to a soft dropping consistency
  • Leave to rise for no more than one hour
  • Remove by the tablespoon and drop into hot oil
  • Take out with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel paper

BulJol

Recipe: (from Naparima Girls High School Cookbook)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 lb saltfish (salted cod)
  • 1 or 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fresh hot pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped or sliced
  • 1 sweet pepper, finely chopped (we don’t use sweet pepper in our version)
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD:

  • Break fish in pieces and place in saucepan with cold water
  • Gradually heat to boiling and throw away water.
  • Repeat until fish tastes fresh and no longer salty
  • Remove skin and bones and break pieces of fish in even smaller pieces
  • Blend fish with remaining ingredients, serve with boiled Breadfruit or Roasted Bake

 

Cassava Pone

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 11/4 hours
Serves: 8

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups cassava
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 100 grams GRACE HELLO SOFT MARGARINE
  • 3/4 cup GRACE EVAPORATED MILK
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

METHOD:

  • Grate cassava and coconut, melt Grace Hello Soft Margarine.
  • Mix all ingredients, blend well.
  • Pour into a greased casserole.
  • Bake at 180°C (350°F) until firm and done.

 

 

Pelau
 

Recipe: (from TriniGourmet.com)

 

Bertie’s Trinidad Pelau

Yields: one Dutch Oven

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 lbs mixed chicken pieces
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 1 whole head of garlic
  • 2 tins pigeon peas
  • 2 lbs brown rice
  • Cooking margarine
  • 2 Scotch Bonnet peppers
  • 1 kettle of boiling water
  • One large batch of seasoning (1 tsp salt, 1 rounded tsp pepper, chopped chives, 1 tsp thyme, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp Angostura bitters, 1 tsp.
  • Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 tbsp. ketchup)

METHOD:

  • Ad seasoned chicken pieces in large glass dish.
  • Sprinkle seasoning over meat.
  • Add 2 teaspoons of salt, a few shakes of black pepper.
  • Add several dashes of worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
  • Place 3 tablespoons of oil in a stew pot (or dutch oven).
  • Bring to high heat and add one level tablespoon of sugar and allow to brown
  • Cook chicken until skin pulls away and chicken is -half- cooked.
  • Empty pigeon peas into the pot with the chicken.
  • Add 2 cups of hot/boiling water.
  • Stir pot to integrate all contents until pot starts to boil again.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of margarine to pot and drop in scotch bonnet peppers.
  • Turn down heat to medium
  • Add 2 pot spoons of ketchup to pot and stir 
  • Add 5 cups of rice
  • Stir pot to mix evenly and cover.
  • Maintain moderate to low heat so that the pot continues cooking. Stir periodically to ensure even mix and cooking of rice.
  • Add 1/4 cup water periodically to keep the liquid on level with the rice grains. Stirring each time to ensure even cooking).\
  • When grains are cooked remove cover.
  • On low heat allow pot to continue to simmer until moisture disappears.
Saltfish Accras

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 250 grams saltfish (salted cod)     
  • 1  lime     
  • 2  cups water     
  • 4  medium red and green sweet peppers     
  • 1  chive     
  • 1  medium onion     
  • 1  tsp. Thyme     
  • 1  egg     
  • 1  cup flour     
  • 1  tsp. Baking powder     
  • 1/2 cup milk     
  • 1 tbs. GRACE HOT PEPPER SAUCE     
  • 1/4 cup GRACE VEGETABLE OIL 

METHOD: 

  • Wash saltfish in lime juice and water and boil for about 15 minutes pour off water rinse in cold water. 
  • Remove skin and bones and mince. 
  • Finely chop red and green sweet peppers and chive. 
  • Grate onion, pick off stem from thyme, beat egg and set aside. 
  • Sift flour, add baking powder and blend well. 
  • Make a well in the center of flour mixture, add water and milk beat briskly until mixture is smooth. 
  • Add minced saltfish, red and green peppers, onion, thyme chive and hot pepper sauce. Stir in beaten egg and mix well. Mixture should be of a dropping consistency. 
  • Fry in desired sizes in hot oil until brown. 
  • Drain on absorbent paper or crumpled unglazed brown paper.

Callaloo

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 dozen dasheen leaves
  • 8 ochroes
  • 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 kilo of salt meat or pork. (1/4 pound)
  • 2 crabs or crab meat.
  • 1 tbsp of butter
  • Chives, salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tsp of Angostura aromatic bitters
  • 1.8 liters of water. (2 quarts)
  • 1 whole hot green pepper

METHOD:

  • Strip stalks and mid ribs from dasheen leaves, wash, roll them and cut into fine shreds.
  • Clean crabs.
  • Combine chopped ochroes, dasheen, and onion in large saucepan, add 1 cup of water and simmer one hour.
  • In a separate pot, boil the salt meat to remove excess salt.
  • Then, add to the main pot the salt meat, whole green pepper, 1.8 liters of water. Simmer 1/2 hour.
 

Pommecythere Chow

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 Large Pommecythere's peeled and diced (keep the seeds)
  • 2 tbs salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 hot pepper (with seeds for the ones who can handle it. (Cut in four pieces)
  • 8 Chadon Beni Leaves( Finely Chopped)
  • 4 Garlic Pieces (finely Chopped)
  • 4 tbs of water

METHOD:

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover bowl and shake for 1 min.
  • Place open in the sun for 10-15 mins. Enjoy!

 

Macaroni Pie

Recipe: (from TriniGourmet.com)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 pk macaroni
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
  • 28-32 oz. evaporated milk
  • 1 onion, finely minced
  • 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, finely minced
  • salt
  • pepper

METHOD:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Boil macaroni in salted water
  • Beat eggs, combine in large bowl with onion, pepper, cheese, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk
  • Drain macaroni and let cool
  • Combine macaroni with egg mixture.
  • Pour everything into a baked oven-ready dish
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes
  • Let cool/set 15-20 minutes before serving

Makes 8 servings

 
Curried Pumpkin and Rice

Recipe: (from TriniGourmet.com)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. pumpkin, peeled and diced
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves, garlic minced
  • sea salt and pepper
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 cups, rice
  • 2 tablespoons chadon beni/cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pimentos, chopped

METHOD:

  • Pour oil into large pot, heat on medium-high
  • Add onions, pimentos and curry powder
  • Fry for 3 to 5 minutes
  • Add chopped pumpkin and garlic
  • Season liberally with salt and pepper
  • Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Bring 3 cups water to boil while pumpkin cooks
  • When 15 minutes are up add 2 cups of rice to pot
  • Stir to coat, toasting slightly for about 3 minutes
  • Add 3 cups of hot/boiling water
  • Bring pot to a boil
  • Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low
  • Test after 30 minutes for doneness
  • Adjust seasonings
  • Stir and ‘mash up’ the pumpkins chunks slightly
  • Stir in chopped cilantro

 

For more Trinidad and Tobago recipes visit TriniGourmet.com