The Hirshon Trinidad Spicy Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baigan Choka

My singularly devoted Citizens of TFD Nation! Attend upon Me and rejoice in a culinary prophecy made manifest as I wax eloquently upon My need to share a recipe that is the ULTIMATE form of baba ghanoush – at least the kind we know as such (which is different than the true baba ghanoush from Syria). Baigan Choka is a singular dish of Indian ethnic origins that has been wholeheartedly adopted by the Caribbean Nation of Trinidad, and is FAR better than baba, IMHO!

Baigan choka, also known as baigan bharta (mashed eggplant) is a Punjabi Indian dish prepared by mashing or mincing grilled eggplant (baigan) with tomato, onion, herbs and spices, with variations being common from chef to chef. Traditionally, the eggplant is cooked over charcoal, inside of a tandoor, barbecue grill or oven, or even directly applying flame to the outside. This infuses the dish with a smoky flavor; the blackened skin is then easily peeled and the eggplant may be further prepared.

Baigan choka is most often grilled, minced eggplant stewed with chopped tomato, browned onion or shallots, ginger, garlic, cumin, and topped with lime or lemon juice, fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) and sliced fresh green chili pepper. Depending on region and personal tastes, ghee (clarified butter) may be used in preparation of the dish. In some regions where mustard oil is popular, this may be used, though it possesses a powerful flavor and aroma. Most chefs use a neutral, high-smoking-point vegetable oil such as canola or sunflower oil.

In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, baigan choka is one of the most popular cuisine items in each country. In India, it is found in various regional styles, with ingredients varying from one region to another. The dish has since spread to areas outside of India, particularly countries with high numbers of Indians and their descendants, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of the United States and Canada.

It is also popularly eaten in the Caribbean, in places such as Guyana, Jamaica and especially, Trinidad & Tobago. Baigan choka (baigan meaning “eggplant” and choka, a corruption of a Hindi word that refers to the technique of finishing a dish with hot flavored oil) is an extremely popular dish on Trinidad, which has a very strong Indian heritage that has influenced the island throughout its modern history.

Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Trinidadian and Tobagonian Indians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.

Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians are a subgroup of Indo-Caribbean people, which is a subgroup of the wider Indian diaspora. Generally, most Indians in Trinidad and Tobago can trace their ancestry back to Northern India – especially the Bhojpur and Awadh regions. Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians are the largest ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago, identified by the official census, as representing about 35.43% of the population in 2011.

However, some Indians trace their ancestry to other parts of South Asia, notably southern India. Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago as indentured laborers from India through the Indian indenture system from 1845 till 1917. Some Indians and other South Asians, along with their families, later came as entrepreneurs, businesspeople, religious leaders, doctors, engineers, and other professional occupations beginning in the mid-20th century and continuing through the present day.

Some Indians arrived from other Caribbean nations, such as Guyana, Grenada, Martinique, and Saint Croix, from which they immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago. Most were people who were escaping poverty in India and seeking employment offered by the British for jobs either as indentured laborers, workers or educated servicemen, primarily, between 1845 and 1917.

The demand for Indian indentured laborers increased dramatically after the abolition of slavery in 1834. They were sent, sometimes in large numbers, to plantation colonies producing high-value crops such as sugar in Africa and the Caribbean. Today, Indo–Trinidadian and Tobagonians have retained their distinctive heritage and culture, while also functioning in a multi-cultural society.

The South Asian languages of their ancestors have largely been lost, although a number of these words have entered the Trinidadian vernacular. Indian movies, music, and cuisine have entered the mainstream culture of Trinidad and Tobago. Chutney soca music rivals calypso and standard soca music, especially during the Carnival season.

Mandirs, masijids, jhandis (Hindu prayer flags), Hindu schools, Muslim schools, roti shops and stalls, puja stores, Indian groceries/markets, and Indian clothing stores and expos dot the landscape of the country – proof of the powerful impact Info-Trinidadians have had throughout their proud country.

Many businesses also bear names of Indian-South Asian origin. Many towns, settlements, villages, avenues, traces, and streets in Trinidad and Tobago are named after Indian cities and people. The holidays of Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, and Indian Arrival Day are national holidays in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidadian Hindustani and other South Asian languages has a great influence on the Trinidadian English lingua franca.

Most people of South Asian descent in Trinidad and Tobago also speak a unique “Hinglish” macaronic dialect of Trinidadian English and Trinidadian Hindustani and they incorporate more Hindustani vocabulary into their Trinidadian English dialect than other ethnic groups in the country.

Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian cuisine is primarily derived from the Bhojpuri and Awadhi cuisines of North India. It has considerable South Indian, especially Tamil and Telugu roots as well, influencing the preparation and ingredients in the cuisine rooted in the tropical environment of Trinidad and Tobago, as it is similar to the climate of South India where a significant minority of Trini Indians came from.

There is also influence from other ethnic cuisines on the island such as Creole, Chinese, West African, Indigenous, French, British, North American, Portuguese, Arab, and Latin American cuisines. It is unlike the mainstream Indian-South Asia cuisines, which is mostly based on Punjabi, Rajasthani, Mughlai, Gujarati, Bengali, Udupi, and Tamil cuisines.

This “mainstream” Indian cuisine was brought to the country by more recent immigrants and is termed as East Indian cuisine in Trinidad and Tobago and is contrasted from the local Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian or local-Indian cuisine.

Baigan Choka has become a beloved mainstay of Trini cuisine – the potent offspring of an Indian dish that has become hybridized with blazing hot Caribbean chilis and herbs to become – as I originally prognosticated at the beginning of this post – the ultimate form of baba ghanoush! There is – of course – no tahini in Baigan Choka as that is strictly a Middle Eastern ingredient, but the vibe is unmistakable.

Now, I happen to love baba ghanoush, but the addition of Indian spices and oils combined with fiery Trini chili peppers and herbs makes this recipe an undisputed favorite of Mine – baigan choka will assuredly become yours as well! There are a few tweaks I have – of course! – made to the classic recipe to improve upon it and – equally of course! – I have succeeded beyond even Mine own wildest expectations! Roasting virtually ALL the veggies makes a big difference, for example!

I also add in a few sweet/hot peppadew peppers from the jar to My version for flavor complexity – you can easily buy them from here. I prefer shallots to the classic onion and have added some ground allspice (native to the Caribbean) as well as some turmeric to bring My baigan choka back to its Indian roots. I also add in a few drops of mesquite liquid smoke to enhance the smoky flavor of the dip – buy My preferred brand from here.

I also bring the dish closer back to the Indian subcontinent by including a rarely-used step in modern Trini kitchens, but one that truly makes the dish SING! In Trini patois, it is known as the “chongkaying” step after the Hindi work to add hot flavored oil to the Indian version of baigan choka. Some versions near Bengal use mustard oil for an extremely sharp flavor, other regions use ghee or regular vegetable oil. Trinis are fond of olive and sesame oils.

I – of course – use all of them in My version  of baigan choka as well as some cumin seeds for extra flavor! Please only use this brand of sesame oil and ESPECIALLY only this brand of mustard oil – other mustard oils are not meant for consumption and can be harmful.

My beloved Citizens – enjoy this combined flavor of the Caribbean and the subcontinent at your next meal or party – you will NOT regret it, I promise you!

Battle on – the Generalissimo

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