Tchaka — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A thick, rustic stew made with dried corn, red beans, squash, and smoked herring, simmered for hours until everything melds into a hearty, earthy porridge.

Ingredients

2 cups dried corn kernels, soaked overnight
1 cup dried red beans, soaked overnight
1 small calabaza squash, peeled and cubed
200g smoked herring, flaked
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp epis paste
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
200ml coconut milk
2 sprigs thyme
2 liters water
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1 Drain soaked corn and beans. Add to a large pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil and cook for one hour.
2 Add squash cubes and continue cooking for thirty minutes until corn and beans are tender and squash begins to break down.
3 Add flaked smoked herring, onion, garlic, epis paste, thyme, and whole Scotch bonnet.
4 Pour in coconut milk and stir well. Simmer for another thirty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5 The stew should be very thick, almost porridge-like. Mash some squash against the side of the pot to thicken.
6 Remove Scotch bonnet and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls.

Did You Know?

Tchaka is named after the Taino word for corn, reflecting the dish's pre-colonial indigenous roots that predate European arrival in Hispaniola.