Trinidad Callaloo Recipe (Easy Canned Version)
Callaloo is Trinidad's creamy, savory Sunday side: leafy callaloo (dasheen leaves) simmered with coconut milk, okra, pumpkin, and aromatics, then swizzled until silky. Using canned callaloo makes it a weeknight dish — no fresh dasheen leaves required.
Ingredients
- 1 can (18 oz) Grace Callaloo, drained
- 1 can (13.5 oz) Grace Coconut Milk
- 6–8 okra, sliced
- 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash, diced small
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Chief Green Seasoning
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 whole hot pepper, uncut
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: a few pieces of salted pig tail or smoked turkey, pre-boiled (classic, not required)
Preparation
1. Start the base. Melt the butter in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic, green seasoning, and thyme for 2 minutes.
2. Simmer. Add the callaloo, coconut milk, okra, and pumpkin. Lay the whole pepper on top. Cover and simmer on low for 25–30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and the okra tender.
3. Swizzle. Remove the pepper and thyme stems. Swizzle with a dhal gutney (swizzle stick), potato masher, or a few pulses of an immersion blender until creamy but not puréed — some texture should remain.
4. Finish. Adjust salt and pepper. A final knob of butter on top is very Trini.
How to serve it
As part of a proper Sunday lunch: macaroni pie, stew chicken, rice, and callaloo in the center of the plate — or ladled generously over white rice.
Tips
- Do not let the pepper burst unless you want real heat throughout.
- Canned callaloo shortcut: it cuts the cooking time in half versus fresh leaves and tastes remarkably close.
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