Trini Ginger Beer

Another exotic drink from our beautiful Island Trinidad is Ginger Beer.  It’s not like traditional beer as the fermentation period is about one day to one week depending on how strong you like it. It's a very refreshing drink. So here goes!

Ingredients

1 lb green ginger
10 cups cold water
1 lime
2 cloves

Method

Wash, peel and grate ginger. Peel and juice lime; keep the rind. Mix ginger, water, cloves, lime juice and the rind. Pour this mixture into clean glass bottles and leave to ferment for about one day, preferably in the sun. More time = stronger drink. Strain the ginger beer and sweeten to taste with cane sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serving place crushed ice in glass (not plastic!) and served chilled!

Cassava Pone

Mmm pone. A sinfully sweet childhood memory. Not a pudding, not a cake, but something somewhere in between. Cassava is intriguing in that although it appears excessively dry when in its raw state, once baked it melts and morphs into a wonderful ‘gelatinous gloop’



INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 lb. raw cassava grated
1 cup milk
½ tsp. nutmeg or mace
½ pack dried coconut flakes
2 cups hot water
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp, ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

METHOD

1. Combine cassava with milk, sugar and spices and mix well.
2. Add raisins (if using), coconut, hot water and melted butter.
3. Mix briskly and taste for sweetness desired.
4. Add more sugar if necessary, pour into greased Pyrex dish. (This time around I used a non-stick baking pan. As it was black I lowered the temperature from 375 to 350 F.)

Pepper Roti

Is your tolerance for heat is a bit high? Well this roti is for you. Even by itself pepper roti makes a wonderful spicy side dish.

Ingredients

For Roti

3 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 cup water

1 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. butter

For Pepper Filling

4 hot peppers

2 cups grated potato

1 cup grated carrot

40 leaves shadow benni

10 cloves garlic

1/4 onion, chopped

2 cups grated cheese

salt to taste

2 pimento peppers, chopped

Note: The pepper roti filling could be modified with other ingredients such as tomatoes, baigan and even peas and carrots. Experiment and enjoy.

Method

Grate and wash the potato Note: This washing process prevents the potato from turning brown: similar to how an apple turns brown after cutting.Chop and blend the hot peppers, pimento peppers, shadow benni, garlic, onion and carrot. Add salt to taste.Add the potato then the cheese and mix together. Set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and water into a dough.Divide the dough into 2, coat with oil and leave to rest for 1 hour. Afterward, open out the dough spread 1 tbsp of butter sprinkle flour. Make a cut from the center and roll into a cone. Press the peak and flatten the center of the cone. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out both balls with a bailna. Heat the tawa then lower the fire and spread one roti. Spread the pepper mixture then place the other roti over it and press right around. Spread a little oil over the surface. Turn over carefully using a dabla. Spread some more oil over the surface and let cook for a few minutes…then cut into pieces and serve.