Trinidadian vegetable dip with grilled flatbreads (choka with bakes)

There is no shortage of grilled eggplant dishes in the world, but this one – a dip that is a specialty of Trinidad’s Indian community – is one of the few I know in which the eggplant is studded with garlic cloves before grilling. What results is an incredible depth of flavor.

Trinidadian vegetable dip with grilled flatbreads (choka with bakes). Credit: Planet BBQ

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (about 900 g / 2 lb in total)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
• 4 scallions (spring onions)
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chilli
• ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• Finely grated zest and juice (1½ tbsp, or to taste) of 1 fresh lemon
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bakes (Trinidadian grilled bread: recipe here) or grilled pita chips, to serve

Makes about 2½ cups

Instructions

1. Set up the grill for caveman-style grilling (grilling in the embers) and fan the coals to remove any loose ash. Alternatively, you can grill the vegetables over direct heat over a charcoal fire or on a gas grill.
2. Using the tip of a paring knife, make 4 small slits in each eggplant. Insert a half clove of garlic in each slit.
3. When ready to cook, place the eggplants in the coals and grill, turning with tongs, until the skin is charred all over and the flesh is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Trim the ends, then scrape off the charred skin. (It’s okay if some remains.)
4. Finely chop one of the scallion greens and set aside for a garnish (you need about 2 tablespoons). Grill the remaining scallions until charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the cutting board to cool.
5. Grill the plum tomatoes and chilli until the skins are charred. Transfer to the cutting board to cool. Cut the chilli in half and remove the seeds.
6. Finely chop the vegetables by hand or in a food processor. Work in the yogurt, fresh and ground coriander, ginger, lemon zest and juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once with the bakes for dipping. 

Note

I often use this Trinidadian technique when I grill eggplant for another use.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.