Name: Baigan choka recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 – 3 eggplants; 3 garlic cloves; 1 onion ((chopped)); 1 pepper ((chopped)); 1 tbsp oil; salt to taste

Baigan choka is a delicious Trini breakfast side dish made with fire roasted eggplant (baigan), garlic, oil and seasonings. It is likely a derivative of baingan ka chokha.

The dish comes from East Indian cuisine where “baigan” translates to eggplant and “choka” is a traditional Indian cooking technique where veggies are roasted over an open flame, peeled and mixed with hot oil and aromatic flavorings like onion and garlic.

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Ingredients for baigan choka

For this recipe, you will need:

eggplant or baigan: any variety of eggplant can be used here.
garlic: this adds great flavor to the roasted eggplant.
oil: coconut oil or any vegetable oil works well for this recipe and helps to reduce discoloring of the eggplant due to oxidation.
onion
pepper: I usually use fresh pimento peppers but you can use fresh chilis, scotch bonnets or powdered versions like paprika or cayenne pepper.
salt
optional: feel free to add fresh Caribbean flavors like chadon beni or green seasoning. To make the dish similar to baingan ka chokha, try adding tomatoes, chilis, ginger, mustard oil, coriander leaves and hing.

How to make baigan choka

Prep the ingredients

Step 1: Peel the garlic and cut into thirds lengthways.

Step 2: Wash the eggplant thoroughly and cut multiple slits into it. Twist the knife in each slit to open it slightly. By the way, the eggplants I’m using here are from my very own garden!

Step 3: Push the garlic into the slits you just made. Brush the eggplant with a little oil (optional).

Step 4: Peel and dice onions, pepper, and any optional ingredients.

Roast the eggplant

Step 5: Place the eggplant on an open flame – either in a chulha, BBQ pit, coal pot, or on the stovetop. Leave to roast for 5 minutes before turning over and allowing the opposite side to roast.

Step 6: Continue turning and roasting, ensuring every part of the baigan is exposed to the flames. You should see charring of the skin and steam bubbles coming out of the slits. When the eggplant becomes very soft and flatter, it is ready to remove – it can take about 15 to 20 minutes to roast. Remove the eggplant and set aside to cool.

Sauté the aromatics

Step 7: Place a small pot on medium heat and pour in a little oil. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Next, add pepper and other optional ingredients like Caribbean green seasoning and fresh herbs.

Remove the skin

Step 8: Once the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut open and scoop out the roasted flesh and garlic pieces. You’ll want to remove all the charred skin (although if you miss a couple small pieces, that’s fine).

remove roasted eggplant for baigan choka

Mash and add the aromatics

Step 9: Place the flesh in a small bowl. Add the salt, sautéed onions, pepper and optional ingredients. Mix and mash everything until there are no large eggplant chunks. Serve immediately with sada roti and other chokas like tomato choka and aloo choka.

Tips for making baigan choka

Those steam bubbles that form when roasting the eggplant can drip onto the stovetop. For easy cleanup, it’s a great idea to line the base of the stove with foil. The foil will catch any drippings and you just have to lift up and discard to clean up. Easy breezy!

Another important tip is to use younger or immature eggplants for making this recipe. Younger eggplants are slightly soft to the touch and have small seeds. These seeds become soft after being roasted. The larger seeds of the mature eggplants are tougher and not as soft or as pleasant in the choka.

Can you batch make baigan choka

Eggplant oxidizes quickly so baigan choka can oxidize and darken after it is cooked. The oil and aromatics reduce this oxidation but it still happens. So, I won’t recommend batch making baigan choka – but you can and it will stay well in the fridge for a day or two.