Cucumber Chow, Trinidadian Style
Chow is the Trinidadian way with raw fruit and vegetables, a street and backyard snack where the pieces are tossed with lime, raw garlic, hot pepper, and the herb chadon beni, then left to marinate a few minutes until they turn sharp and fiery. Cucumber is the everyday version. The technique matters more than the recipe: cut the cucumber thick so it stays crunchy, hit it with plenty of lime and raw garlic, and go carefully with the scotch bonnet, which is among the hottest chiles at the market. Cilantro stands in for chadon beni, its close relative. The acid and the pepper do all the seasoning here, so no salt is needed.
Ingredients
- 2 Cucumbers, cut into thick cubes
- 3 tbsp Lime juice
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Habanero, seeded and minced
- 1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 Scallions, sliced
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
Method
- Cut the cucumber into thick cubes or spears, not thin slices. Chow is marinated, and thin pieces go limp while thick ones stay crunchy through the soak.
- Toss the cucumber with the lime juice, raw minced garlic, minced habanero, cilantro, scallion, and black pepper. Wear a glove for the habanero and add it by halves; scotch bonnet, its Caribbean cousin, is fierce, and you can always add more.
- Let the chow sit 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once. This rest is what makes it chow: the lime and raw garlic soak into the cucumber and season it through, the way a quick pickle would.
- Serve cold, straight from the bowl. The lime, garlic, and pepper carry it with no salt. Eat it the same day, while the cucumber still snaps.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 35 calories, 1 g protein, 2 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
