Recipe for Tomato Choka- Trinidadian roasted tomatoes crushed with onion, garlic, and hot peppers. Perfect for serving with sada roti!
Tomato Choka comes from Trinidad and highlights summer produce at its finest. Choka refers to the process of roasting the tomatoes to intensify their flavor before crushing and combining them with garlic, onion, and hot peppers. I paired the Tomato Choka with Sada Roti, a type of pillowy flatbread. It would also be delicious with Chicken Roti or even grilled cheese, like Homemade Zagat mentions.
I used the broiler set to high to char the tomatoes, but you can definitely take advantage of the grilling season and use an outdoor grill or open flame.
In this particular version, oil is heated just until hot and beginning to smoke before drizzling over the top of the thinly sliced onions and tomato mixture. I have come across a couple of recipes that roast the peppers along with the tomatoes. Others also fried the garlic and onions in the pan before adding to the Choka. Adjust the amount of peppers due to your own taste. For extra heat, don’t discard the seeds.
Tomato Choka (Trinidadian Roasted Tomatoes) Recipe
Adapted from Simply Trini Cooking and Caribbean Pot
Tomato Choka (Trinidadian Roasted Tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 5 medium tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 hot green peppers stems and seeds discarded
- 1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the stem from each tomato and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and broil until the skins are charred and wrinkled, gently flipping once to char both sides. Remove from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, gently discard the skins and crush the tomatoes into a large bowl. Remove any hard pieces like the cores. The tomatoes can also be charred on the grill.
- In a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic with some salt and the peppers into a paste. Mix into the crushed tomatoes.
- Sprinkle the thinly sliced onions over the top. In a small saucepan, place the olive oil over medium heat. Heat just until hot and beginning to smoke, then remove from heat and immediately drizzle over the sliced onions and tomato mixture. Stir together, top with cilantro if desired, and serve with sada roti.
Alyssa
This reminds me of a tomato chutney or even a fresh salsa in Mexican culture!
Shashi at Savory Spin
I don’t think I have ever had Tomato Choka before – the thought of roasting the tomatoes first imparts so much flavor to this dish! Yum!
michele
My brother was just in Trinidad with some friends of his…. he’s been raving about how amazing the food was …. Im going to make this to have with a steak dish he was telling me about from there. Your recipe couldn’t have come at a better time!
Suzy
There is a Mediterranean dish similar to this tomato choka! We absolutely love it! Will give this a try.
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
This is like the most intense and amazing salsa ever! I cannot wait to try this!!!
Sally
Haven’t told you lately how I love your Website and you but can’t wait to try this recipe. Sounds like the best salsa. Best to you and your family.
Gloria
W0ha about the green peppers? How are they cooked and added to the dish?
Tara
Hi Gloria! I mashed the peppers along with the garlic. If you prefer, you can also roast them first.