Choko White Curry
Smooth, velvety, and packed with flavour in every spoonful.
This is a standard white curry made using chokos or chayote, the once ubiquitous vine that adorned outside toilets - dunnies - in many an Australian backyard. From dunnies they made their way to dinner tables via choko pickles or baked and doused with butter sitting beside roast lamb and gravy.
"They have made a comeback in the last few years through the influence of Asian migrants and have been appearing in my local farmers' market, whence I have made a Sri Lankan choko curry that has gone down well with folk" - from recipe developer
"Nursery Near Me's" guide to growing fruit and vegetables includes a planting calendar for every Australian climate zone" — this would fit perfectly if you are starting a patch. Best of all, their guide to growing a fruit and vegetable garden comes with a planting calendar tailored to each Australian climate zone — from tropical Darwin to cool Hobart: nurserynearme.com.au/blogs/blog/growing-a-successful-fruit-and-vegetable-gardenAn old-time Aussie favourite, native to South America where it is known as chayote. A green, slightly spiky fruit with mild, white flesh. It was used as a pie or jam filler during the Depression years in Australia but is delicious fried or au gratin (in a mornay or bechamel sauce).
Chokos are a native of Central America.
They were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers and from there were introduced to parts of Asia. A choko is also known as chayote, vegetable pear or mango squash. They grow on a climbing plant and look a bit like a pear. Some varieties have spines, while others are spineless.
Colours range from green to ivory white. Chokos have a very mild flavour, often compared to marrow, so they are usually cooked with other stronger tasting foods. Choko shoots are sometimes used in Asian cooking.
Choko White Curry
Creamy white curry with a satisfying kick you won't forget.
Ingredients
2 chokos
50 gms onion or shallot
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 clove garlic
1 sprig curry leaves
1 or 2 green or red chillies
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 stick cinnamon (about 8 - 10 cm long)
500 mls thick coconut milk made from powdered milk or canned coconut milk
1 lime
1 pinch salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Everything we grow on the farm is mainly destined for local soup kitchens in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Laurieton, and Kendall. Any surplus, we turn into something special with our spices and ...... for everyone to enjoy. Top left : Chokos, bitter melon, pumpking, sweet potato leaves, Pumpkin shoots and Okinawa spinach.
Choko White Curry
— so good, it'll leave you speechless
Instructions
Peel the 2 chokos. You may find your chokos are a little old and have a milky sticky sap under the skin. Peel these ones under running cold water.
Cut the 2 chokos in half from top to bottom.
Use the teaspoon to scoop out the core and seed of the choko, You want to get as much of the tough core out as you can.
Chop the chokos into bite sized chunks.
Make the 500 ml of coconut milk by mixing 4 tablespoons of powdered coconut milk in 500 ml of hot water. If using canned coconut milk, mix 2 tbsp of the milk in 500 ml of hot water.
Pour the oil in the saucepan and heat it for a minute or two.
Add the 50 g chopped onion or shallot and cook till they are softened.
Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 tsp turmeric.
Strip the leaves off a sprig of curry leaf and add them to the pan. Be careful, they may spit as they sizzle - so toss them in and stand back,
Fry this all up for a minute or two, moving it around gently with a spoon.
Add the 500 ml coconut milk.
Add a pinch of salt.
Bring this gravy to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the 2 peeled and chopped chokos.
Cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes or until you can just push a skewer into the chokos.
Just before serving, squeeze 1 lime over the chokos.
You do not need an orchard to grow food. These edible plants and bush tucker natives, over 190 of them, are chosen to hold their own in an ornamental garden: citrus and olives that double as feature trees, blueberry and pomegranate hedges, herbs for clipped borders, and Australian natives with genuine food history, from riberries to lemon myrtle. The choice comes down to space, climate and how long you are prepared to wait for the first harvest. You may find this article and seeds here - "Nursery Near Me"
Green vs White Chayote / Chokos
Green and white chayote are two main color types of the same species, with noticeable differences in appearance, texture, and growth performance. Overall, green chayote is more common, higher-yielding, and more suitable for home growing, while white chayote has delicate flesh and performs better in certain cooking applications.
Green chayote is the most widely cultivated variety, with light to dark green skin, firm slightly sweet flesh, and strong growth—yields can be four times those of white varieties, making it the most available and versatile option for stir-fries, soups, and stews. White chayote (Labu Siam Putih or Chayote Blanco) has paler skin and more tender, watery flesh with a milder flavor that absorbs seasonings easily, suiting rich sauces; it has the highest soluble solids and relatively high pectin, slightly more dietary fiber and protein than green types, but the lowest vitamin C—and it flowers and fruits later with lower yield.
Choko sambal stir-fry – toss with sambal and dried shrimp for a spicy, savory side dish either with chokos or the tender shoots of Choko leaves ie tendrils.
Starting from the left, we have Choko pickles and Chokos with apples in Apple pie — and have you tried Sambal or stir-fry curry made with choko young shoots / tendrils?
Chokos, what is it?
Smooth, velvety, and packed with flavour in every spoonful
Chayote, also known as choko or vegetable pear, is a vigorous climbing vine that rewards home gardeners with dozens of mild, pear-shaped fruits from a single plant. The easiest way to grow it is not from seed, but from a whole mature fruit—simply leave one on a sunny windowsill until a shoot emerges, then plant the entire fruit with the sprouted end just above the soil surface. Choose a spot with full sun and excellent drainage, as chayote is highly susceptible to root rot, and provide a sturdy trellis or fence for the fast-growing vines to climb .
Plant your sprouted chayote outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed, as the vine is frost-tender and loves warmth . Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged, and feed with compost or a balanced fertiliser every few weeks to support strong growth. The vines typically begin producing harvestable fruit about 18 weeks after planting, and you should pick them while they are young, light green, and around 6–10 cm long for the best texture and flavour . With a little space and a strong support, a single chayote plant can become a prolific and long-lived addition to your garden.
Source:
Comments