Tchaka

Ingredients

Corn and beans

• 400 gdried hominy corn, maïs moulu gros or whole hominy
• 250 gdried red kidney beans or pigeon peas
• both soaked overnight

Meat

• 400 gsalted pork or smoked pork
• 300 gbeef, in pieces
• 1pig’s tail, optional

Vegetables

• 500 gjoumou or butternut squash, in chunks
• 2onions
• 1green pepper

Epis and seasoning

• 4 tbspepis, the Haitian green seasoning base
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 2 sprigsthyme
• 3cloves
• 1whole scotch bonnet
• 2 tbspoil
• salt and pepper

To serve

• on its own, as a full meal

Directions

1. Use dried hominy, corn that has been treated with lime and had its hull removed. The alkali treatment, nixtamalisation, softens it and makes its nutrients available, and untreated dried corn will never soften properly. Soak it overnight in plenty of cold water, and 24 hours is better. Soak the beans separately overnight as well. Now the kidney beans, if that is what you are using.
2. Drain the soaking water, cover with fresh water, and boil them hard for at least ten minutes before they go into the pot. Never cook kidney beans in a slow cooker from raw, since a low steady temperature can increase the toxicity rather than destroying it.
3. Cover it with cold water, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes and discard the water. Taste a piece afterwards, and repeat if it is still fiercely salty, because a pot ruined by salt cannot be fixed.
4. Brown it properly in batches, since that colour is much of the depth of the finished stew. Add the onions and pepper and cook until soft. Add the epis, garlic, thyme and cloves and cook a few minutes.
5. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Now cook it for a long time, at least two hours. Stir regularly and scrape the base, because corn and beans settle and catch. Add the pork after the first hour.
6. Add it whole and unbroken, and lift it out before serving. If it bursts, the whole pot becomes extremely hot. Add the squash in the last 45 minutes. It is done when the hominy is completely tender and has split open, the beans are soft, and the whole thing is thick.
7. Taste and season it well, remembering the salted pork has contributed a great deal. It should be thick enough to eat with a spoon standing up in it, rather than soupy. Serve it in deep bowls on its own, as a complete meal. It needs nothing alongside, which is part of what makes it a dish for feeding many people.

Technique

• Azaka Mede is the lwa of agriculture and is honoured with country food.
• Epis is the Haitian green seasoning base and is kept in the fridge.
• Hominy is nixtamalised corn and is not the same as ordinary dried corn.

Substitutions

• Tinned hominy, which cuts the cooking time enormously.
• Pigeon peas in place of kidney beans.

Variations

• Made with pigeon peas.
• Without meat, for a Lenten or offering version.
• With more squash, which gives a thicker stew.

History

Cooked as an offering to the lwa Azaka, the peasant spirit of agriculture, and shared at Vodou ceremonies.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tchaka?

Tchaka is a main from Haiti: slow stew of hominy corn, beans, squash and salted pork. Cooked as an offering to the lwa Azaka, the peasant spirit of agriculture, and shared at Vodou ceremonies.

How long does Tchaka take to make?

Tchaka takes 30 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tchaka?

Yes, within limits. Tinned hominy, which cuts the cooking time enormously. Pigeon peas in place of kidney beans.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tchaka?

Use dried hominy, corn that has been treated with lime and had its hull removed. The alkali treatment, nixtamalisation, softens it and makes its nutrients available, and untreated dried corn will never soften properly. Soak it overnight in plenty of cold water, and 24 hours is better. Soak the beans separately overnight as well. Now the kidney beans, if that is what you are using.