Baigan Choka and Grilled Herb Flatbread

Eggplant is known as ‘Baigan’ in Trinidad & Tobago. The origins of the word come from Hindi.

Similarly, in Hindi, ‘choka’ is a method of cooking roasted vegetables. And that’s exactly what this dish is. It’s roasted eggplant. Once you cook eggplant like this you won’t want it any other way. 

The Wolf and Grizzly Campfire Trio is perfectly designed for cooking them. The corrugated fire insert becomes the ideal bed to lay your aubergine, directly on the hot coals, so that they cook evenly and take on that amazing smoky flavor. 

This dish is a typical breakfast dish eaten in Trinidad with a roti on the side. Here, we’re going to make a simple herby flatbread on the Wolf and Grizzly Grill to compliment this vegetarian delicacy.  

What You’ll Need

For the Baigan Choka

1 medium-size eggplant

2 small tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

Salt, black pepper & hot sauce to taste

For the bread

100g plain white flour

½ tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

50ml tepid water. The reason for tepid is 37-degree temp water activates the yeast 

Sea salt, to taste

2 tbsp fresh herbs of your choice. Rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, and basil are all great.

Method

1. This is the easiest bread you’ll ever make. Combine the yeast and water and give it a stir. This will wake the yeast up.
2. Then combine the rest of the bread ingredients and with the yeast water and knead. You want a consistency that’s just about dry enough to not stick to your hands. You can always add more flour or water to get you there. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside. 
3. Take your eggplant and pierce it with a knife. This will allow the steam to escape. Place it directly on the hot coals. Turn it every 10 mins for 30 mins. Do the same with tomatoes. I like to use an old sieve as a basket to cook them directly on hot coals. 5 minutes before you are ready to remove the tomatoes, throw the garlic in the sieve too. Then after the 5 mins are up remove the aubergine, tomato, and garlic to cool a little. 
4. While they cool, roll out your flatbread and put it on the grill. I used a cast iron pan to cook it, but you don’t have to. It works straight on the grill too. Just brush it with a little olive oil and use the grill on the 8 inch mode, turning it after 5 mins. Remove when golden all over. 
5. Now all you need to do is scoop out the flesh from the aubergine and mash it in a bowl with the tomatoes. Season with a little hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Serve along with your freshly cooked flatbread.