Stew Oxtail and Melongene (Eggplant)

At long last I can finally post stew oxtail and melongene. This recipe was done and got lost along with the pictures while doing some moving around. But thanks to my mother-in-law I was able to get it done in time for you all.

The Deal with Stew Oxtail and Melongene

Now, melongene (eggplant) is not much of a favourite among most people, especially the younger folk who sometimes are so accustomed to modern style cooking, that they don't know much about our local produce available here in Trinidad and Tobago; much less to cook  and eat it.

This is becoming a problem I find lately. We are not passing on our cooking culture and heritage readily to the younger ones. Instead we adopt an American or international lifestyle, leaving behind our very own identity.

Sadly, this is a reality….we celebrate halloween;  develop a pseudo-American accent to “sound” sophisticated; spend too much time on phones bbm-ing and chatting rather than having an actual chat with someone sitting right next to you;  and of course when you ask a child what is their favourite food they will quickly say “KFC” or “pizza”.

Globalisation can be a good thing, but along with the good there is a whole lot of damage being done in the name of commerce. So much so that I've come up with a few suggestions that we can employ to try and maintain our identity and heritage in cooking.

1. Learn about your local fruits and vegetables and root crops…There is an abundance of recipes on this site and others that use our local produce extensively to show you all what else is possible with a creative mind and know how, for example instead of a potato salad why not try a breadfruit salad or a provision salad. You would certainly be getting more fibre in your diet from that change alone.
2. Learn about the cooking styles in Trinidad and Tobago…Each culture that reside in Trinidad and Tobago has left an indelible mark on our cooking, making it fresh and creative and sometimes very commercial. So what you do is look at the cultures and see they might have done in preparing a meal then adopt it into your repetoire. Instead of just grilling chicken, why not try an Arabian twist and add a garlic sauce to the meat or bring two influences together. A lot of ideas are welling up in my mind already lol!!
3. Buy local….Yes I must agree that buying Creole food on the outside is not much of a thrill as we have seen with the recent closing down of Chaud Creole, but when you support your local businesses it helps to keep many mouths fed here at home and the money isn't siphoned of to another country  or globalised business.  So I must implore you all to buy local. Support your local groceries instead of rushing off to a foreign owned restaurant just because you saw it on TV or internet.
4. Read and support Simply Trini Cooking…Yeah I just had to promote the site lol!! For the past 6 years we have been pumping out authentic Trini style dishes for you all without asking for anything in return, yet everyday we get lots of emails and comments on the good that we are doing. We are grateful, that is why we make sure to place a section in the Compere Magazine just for such comment.  We do hear your comment and we always try to respond.  So keep cooking Trini and don't forget your Trinbagonian food culture.

Anyhow, here's a good Trini stew oxtail and melongene. Enjoy!

Stew Oxtail and Melongene Recipe

1 1/2 lb Oxtail
2 tbsp green seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
8 celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 pimento pepper, chopped
2 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. oil to saute the oxtail

Season the meat with the green seasoning.  Add the tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic, garlic and pimento pepper.

Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Saute the seasoned oxtail in the oil.

 Add the water and cover to pressure cook for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the melongene and leave to cook for another 10 minutes or until soft.

 Stir in tomato paste.

 Remove and leave to cool.

Serve over rice.

Well that's it for another wonderful recipe from the simply trini cooking recipe factory. More to come. By the way did you all feel the earthquake? It was really something, my whole roof shook lol!! I believe it measured 6.1. Wow!!

Anyhow, Ah gone 🙂