In Memory Of Karen Nicole Smith, 1972 - 2016

Potato with leftover chicken in a delightful curry sauce.


simple-curry-potato-recipeSo what do you do with the left over stew chicken from the day before? Our main meal of the week in Trinidad and Tobago is usually “Sunday lunch”. I recall my mom going all out just about every Sunday, which usually included her famous stew chicken. As we were kids and didn’t eat much, there was usually left over chicken… that slowly  changed as we grew older and our appetite increased. Back then, Monday dinners usually meant curry potato with the added chicken for extra flavor, paired with either rice or roti.

That tradition now continues in our household, but it’s not a Monday thing…

You’ll need…

2 large potatos

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (any that can withstand high heat)

1 medium onion sliced

2 cloves of garlic sliced

1/4 of a hot pepper – habanero (only add if you like extra spicy)

leftover stew chicken (leave out chicken if you want it vegetarian)

2 cups water

4 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite curry powder.

ingredient-for-curry-potato

Peel and dice the potato into 1-2 inch pieces, then wash and keep handy. Prepare the garlic and onion by peeling and slicing into thin pieces. You may also crush the garlic if you wish, but I leave in slices so our girls can see them when the dish is complete. This way they can remove if they wish when eating.

I now add the curry powder to a bowl with the sliced onions and garlic.

trini-curry-potato

In a heavy pan I place the oil over medium to high heat. Just before it starts to smoke, I add the curry, onion and garlic mixture and let cook for about 2 minutes. In the same small bowl that the curry mixture was in, I add the 4 tablespoons of water and rinse (get any curry that was left back). Now pour that water into the pot with the cooked curry, onions and garlic. Let that cook until the water evaporates and you now have a bit of a paste.

spicy-curry-potato

Our next step is to add the diced potato and move around, so everything gets coated. This can take a couple minutes.

curry-potato-with-sauce

Add the salt, pepper, habanero and remaining water. The goal is to try and have enough water to cover the potato so it will cook evenly.

potato-curry

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Allow this to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the potato is tender and starts to melt away to form a nice thick sauce. Here is where the dish goes from being vegetarian… Add the pieces of leftover chicken and let simmer for about 5 minutes. If you’re going with the vegetarian version, allow to thicken and serve at this point.

simple-curry-potato-recipe

The goal is to allow the runny sauce to thicken up, so you may have to crush the potato a bit if necessary by pressing down on them with the back of your cooking spoon. Please taste for salt and add if necessary. I’m not a heavy salt eater, so you may find that some of my dishes do require more salt – basically to your taste!

curry-potato

Tip. If you live in a country where your home is closed up for the winter months and you’re worried about the curry smell lingering around, burn a candle (scented is great) during and after you’re done cooking. If the smell is really strong (depends on the curry powder you use), you add either a vanilla bean or piece of cinnamon to a couple cups of water and boil for a bit. The fragrance will envelop your home, but you may feel like having apple pie.

Share your thoughts on this and all the recipes on CaribbeanPot.con by using the comment box at the bottom of each recipe posted.

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8 Comments

  1. Ms Fox
    February 10, 2013 / 3:36 pm

    Hi Chris, my coworker and I discovered your site and we absolutely love it- I am Kittitian and she is puerto rican and we have been trying different recipes and have never been disappointed . Thanks so much for sharing –

  2. sarita
    May 24, 2012 / 10:36 pm

    BBQ Pig tail is the BEST and so easy to do!

  3. Sara
    March 21, 2010 / 11:56 am

    Thank you for the recipe. It was very easy to follow and deliscious. I am Canadian and my boyfriend is Trinidadian. I am trying to learn some trini dishes so he wont miss home so much. Thanks again!

    • admin
      March 26, 2010 / 10:29 am

      Sara.. Lucky fella! If I can help with anything, do leave me a comment… gotta make sure my trini people etas well 🙂

      happy cooking

      chris

  4. Chris De La Rosa
    April 29, 2009 / 12:27 pm

    Janice, Thanks so much for not only finding the site, but for leaving your wonderful comment. Speaking about pig tails… a friend of mine recently told me about BBQ pig tails! Yup.. I never heard of it before. Look for my pigtail with split peas (Dhal) soup I’ll be making to share soon.

    All the best.

    Chris

  5. Janice Swan
    April 26, 2009 / 11:19 am

    Chris: I only just discovered your site while searching for recipes. I am a Trini but have not lived there since 1968. I still dream of having the perfect sweet bread or the best curried pig tails with bodi. I am definitely looking forward to receiving your emails. I am forwarding your site to my many Trini friends in the UK and US, as well as here in Bermuda. All the very best.

  6. Chris
    April 13, 2009 / 10:45 am

    Mel. Thanks for dropping by. Stay tuned for more exciting recipes from a Caribbean perspective.

    regards

    Chris

  7. April 12, 2009 / 10:57 am

    mmm quick and yummy 🙂 thanks for sharing!

    I’m glad I found your blog 🙂 You gave me something new to follow. I look forward to future posts!

    Mel @ bouchonfor2.com’s last blog post..New Feature: Dining Around

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