The name says it all... The nutty taste of the roasted coconut, together with the chadon beni, pepper and garlic is truly a mouthwatering delight. When we made this I was so eager to try it out, that the sting of the fresh hot pepper was not going to phase me at all. And boy was it hot!


Strange thing though, by the time it went in the fridge it seems like the coldness tamed the heat a bit to a manageable degree, that I could have eaten a little more..(greedy) :-). A spoon of coconut chutney with some rice and dhal is all you need and you're good to go. You don't even need meat in your plate, at least for me, considering that I'm a meat mouth.


I totally enjoyed this chutney recipe since it goes great with whatever meal you are eating. And also knowing that coconuts are so healthy, made me appreciate it more. If you have been following this blog for a while you would know by now how much I really like to cook with coconut oil because of its many benefits. So having this coconut chutney with my food was also a a step in the right direction.


Now we have another addition to our list of chutneys. I did mango chutney, tamarind sauce, chadon beni chutney (my favourite ) already and now coconut chutney. We also have mango kuchela and masala mango that tastes just as spicy as well. Hmm! quite a list we have here, but it's not complete. I believe I have one or two to do still so stay tuned.


While you enjoy making this recipe you may also want to check out some more coconut recipes, such as coconut bake, coconut sweet bread, and coconut drops. What a coconutty post! :D Enjoy!

1 coconut
10 leaves chadon beni
12 cloves garlic
2 hot peppers
1 tbsp salt
water

The season for tamarind or tambran (as we call it) is coming to an end once more. As usual there are a lots of it on my tree. This will be the second recipe with tamarind on this site (the other is Tambran (Tamarind) sauce). Tambran (Tamarind) ball is a traditional snack and is especially loved by children because of its sweet-sour-peppery taste. This conglomeration of sweet and sour goodness is surely up my alley, because you all know I have more of a sour, spicy, tooth than a sweet one :-)



The Tamarind in Trinidad is very sour and cannot be eaten naturally by some people. Or as we say in Trini "It so sour it does edge teeth". Tamarind, however, makes a good tambran ball and sauce for pholourie. There is sweet tamarind variety which is also getting popular here in Trinidad and Tobago. This sweet type comes from Thailand. It has a more tolerable, natural taste than the local variety because of its natural sweetness. I happen to like it as well. Another tamarind product I found in the supermarket is "Picarindo" from Mexico. It is similar to our local tambran balls except that it has a red preservative added to it. I see they even have one on a stick, and just like the tambran ball it is absolutely mouth watering.



I know of two ways to make tamarind ball. The only difference is that one has flour added and the other doesn't. The recipe we are doing is for the one with flour. (Please note: The tamarind balls without the flour is softer, and not as firm as the one with flour. Also in making it without the flour, a little bit of hot water is added to the tamarind pulp, as the first step, to soften the pulp. No water is added to it again.) I hope you enjoy this traditional snack just like "tanty" used to make. Don't forget to tell me how it comes out when you make it or your family and friends.

1 1/2 lb sugar, approximately
1 lb Tamarind pulp, cleaned
3 tbsp flour (optional)
pepper to taste
salt to taste

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Are you a trini blogger? Do you post often? Have you posted within the last month? I'm embarking on a project to list the majority of Trini blogs out there in the blogosphere. For the time I have been blogging, I have come across a few, so I know that there are Trini bloggers all over the world that share a passion for blogging. If you want to be added just leave a comment with your blog link, a short description of your blog and where you are from geographically ( like USA, Britain, etc ) and I'll add you to the list.


To show how proud you are to be a Trini blogger, I made these buttons you can add to your site.







You could choose any one but please do not link directly to it, for obvious bandwidth reasons, but rather save it to your computer and upload to a photo site like flickr, imageshack, photobucket etc. All I ask is that you link back to this post so other people will get to know about more bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago as the list grows.


To make life easier, just upload the pic to a photo site, get the image link, and paste the link in this code replacing [ your photo link goes here ].


For Blogger blogs all you have to do is copy the code, with your photo link already added . Go to "Layout" and "Add a Gadget" in the sidebar. Then choose "Add Html/Javascript", paste the code and click save. If you want you could move it around to where you want it on the page afterwards.


I'm not sure how it's done for other blog platforms like WordPress, etc. but it's fairly straightforward, after you download the code and put in your image link.


Of course, pass by often since this will be updated as the links come in.




Trinidad and Tobago

Air Guns Trinidad and Tobago

Airgun related site; based on life in Trinidad & Tobago. Also family preparedness, emergency preparedness and survival. Helping new airgunners get started, and providing a forum for more experienced shooters to share ideas, tips and strategies.


Withering Rose

A fashion forward trini girl blogging about the latest editorials, trends and brands sprinkled with a few personal outfit posts here and there.


Stylish-Babe

Stylish-Babe is a fashion and beauty blog created July 2009. This blog was created to keep both Trinidadians and non-Trinidadians informed about the current and upcoming styles and trends in fashion and beauty. Most of the tends in shoes or jewelry posted on Stylish-Babe can also be found at local malls and fashion stores such as The Falls at West Mall, Peter Elias and Bang Bang. Its a great way to stay in the know!


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There are some vegetables that I did not like while growing up and without a doubt Caraili was one of them. It was bitter, and tasted awful. Then, as I grew older I observed all the adults eating it; saying it was good to eat. How could something sooo bitter be good for you? Anyone who eats caraili knows that its taste takes some time getting used to, but soon you get accustom to its taste and learn to enjoy it.


While rummaging around the internet, I came across a delightful story about how the bitter gourd got its taste. It was really interesting. Even though it was of Filipino origin, I enjoyed the story thoroughly. Want to read it? Check it out here. I hope you find it a good read. It's a nice story to read for your children as well since there is a moral at the end.



Anyhow, I am surprised how this bitter vegetable loses most of its bitterness when fried with onion, garlic and pimento pepper. It seems that the fire tames him a bit. The dish presented on this page makes a good complement to any meal, especially with its unique look. It adds an interesting taste to any dish as well.



So, my good readers, don't shy away from eating this healthy vegetable just because it is bitter and looks strange. Just know that it is good for you. This recipe is my second for caraili (karela). The other recipe is called kalounji. On that page I went into a little more of the health benefits with links.

1 large Caraili
2 pimento peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Beef! How many ways shall I cook thee! I can stew you, bake you, or grill you, but today I'm going to curry you with potatoes. Haha!! Curry beef with potatoes is such a versatile dish. It goes great with rice, paratha roti or dhal puri roti, and it is simple to prepare.

Now, if you have this with roti, this is where it can become very interesting. I always enjoy adding curry bodi, pumpkin, fry ochro, and dasheen bush bhaji as a side to the roti. In the end, you are completely satisfied for the next four hours, especially with a cold glass of mauby.

However, today the rice will do. You can also add your usual fresh green salad to it, and an extra dash of pepper if you are brave like me. Here is rice and curry beef with potatoes. Enjoy!


Tip: You can also pressure cook the beef before you start to curry it. You'll have nice tender beef and shorten your cooking time.

1 lb beef, cubed
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
5 leaves chadon beni, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder (divided)
1 tsp. geera powder
1/2 tbsp. saffron powder
2 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Boil about 1 1/2 cups of rice; drain and set aside.