Trinidad callaloo is a thick, green, velvety soup made from the young leaves of the dasheen plant (taro), cooked down with okra, pumpkin, coconut milk, onion, garlic and herbs. It is traditionally beaten smooth with a swizzle stick; a blender does the same job.
Many households add crab or salted meat. This base version is meat-free and becomes vegan if you leave out the butter. The crab version is noted below.
Dasheen leaves must be cooked thoroughly. Raw taro leaves can irritate the mouth and throat, which is why callaloo simmers until everything is completely soft.
The recipe
Trinidad Callaloo
Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Total
1 hr
Serves
6
Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.
Servings
Ingredient amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pot size may need adjusting too.
Ingredients
Tick items off as you gather them.
Method
Wash the dasheen leaves well. Strip the tough skin from the stalks (it pulls away in strings), then chop the leaves and stalks.
Put the leaves, okra, pumpkin, onion, garlic, chives and thyme in a large pot. Pour in the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.
Sit the whole pepper on top, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until everything is completely soft.
Lift out the pepper carefully without bursting it, and remove the thyme stems.
Swizzle or blend until smooth. Season with salt and stir in the butter if using.
Serve it with
Spooned over rice, alongside macaroni pie and stewed chicken for a Sunday lunch plate
No dasheen bush: young spinach gives a similar colour, though the texture is lighter.
For crab callaloo: add 2 cleaned, halved crabs with the leaves and simmer until cooked through. Remove the shells before swizzling, or swizzle carefully around them.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Cook's notes
If the callaloo tastes scratchy, it needs more cooking.
The whole pepper flavours the pot; burst it only if you want real heat.
