curry bodi Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

Bodi or Bora, and some may even know it as Yard Beans, Snake Beans, Pea Beans, Asparagus Beans or Chinese Long Beans, is one of my favorite curry dishes, even as a lil fella on the islands. And while the recipe will work with French or String beans, Bodi has a unique flavor it imparts into the finished dish like nothing else.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (sliced)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Geera)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Green Seasoning
2 tablespoons curry powder
3 Bird Pepper (bird’s eye)
2 lbs Bodi (trimmed)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
4 medium potatoes (chunks)
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut cream

Notes. May I recommend you use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain fillers. I used Bird’s Eye Peppers in the amount I can handle, use any pepper you like or can source or you may leave it out.

Wash and trim the ends off the Bodi (discard), then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse again and drain.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic and Cumin (geera) seeds. Turn the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the Caribbean Green Seasoning, Bird’s Eye Peppers and black pepper, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the curry powder. Heat still on low.

The goal is to slowly cook the curry powder to bloom the spices which make up this wonderful blend. Should you need to add a bit more oil, do so.

Four minutes later add the washed and trimmed Bodi to the pot and stir well.

Turn the heat up to medium high.

Follow up with the salt and potato pieces. Mix well to coat.

The water goes in now and bring to a boil.

Tuck in the coconut cream and reduce to a simmer. Cook with the lid on but slightly ajar.

At the 25 minute mark you may check and adjust the salt. Remember to stir a couple times and add a bit more water if you need to. Here’s when you’ll decide if the sauce of gravy at the bottom is to your liking.

The potato pieces along with the Bodi should be fully cooked by now and it’s important that you consider that any sauce at the bottom of the pot will further thicken as it cools, especially with the residual heat of the pot.

While in my youth Sada Roti was my fave way to enjoy this delightful vegan dish, over the years Buss Up Shut Roti is my go-to!

Bodi (Yard Beans, Bora or Green Beans) With Shrimp.

May 28, 2025October 13, 20211 Comment

We always had Bodi (aka Bora, Yard Beans or Snake Beans) growing in our little kitchen garden at the back of the house when I was growing up on the islands. Over the years I’ve not only come to enjoy this bean (wasn’t a fan as a child), but I’ve found different ways to prepare them (courtesy of my other Caribbean cousins). Should you have problems sourcing Bodi, green or French beans will work as well.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs Bodi (prepared)
1 cup dried shrimp
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 pimento pepper (sliced)
1/3 teaspoon salt
5-10 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work) – cut in half

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

To prep the Bodi, remove the stem and bottom tips (discard), then cut into even length pieces (about 4-5 cm).

I washed the prepped Bodi and had it in water to remain fresh as I worked on the other ingredients.

Heat the oil in a pot that has a lid on a medium flame, add the garlic and toss in the dried shrimp and black pepper.. then lower the heat to as low as it will go and cook gently so we don’t burn the garlic.

Cook for about three minutes, then add the Bodi (drain if it’s been soaking in water), turn up the heat to medium and stir well to coat the pieces of Bodi with that lovely garlic, shrimp perfumed olive oil.

Now go in with the water, Scotch Bonnet Pepper, salt and Pimento Pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer. As soon a you get a simmer going, turn the heat to low and place the lid on the pot.

Twenty-five minutes later, taste it for salt (adjust), toss in the tomato (I had grape tomatoes at my disposal, but any tomato will work).

Turn the stove off, put the lid on and let the residual heat finish cooking the tomato. Serve warm with hot Sada Roti or steamed rice.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Bodi (aka Yard Bean or Bora).

May 27, 2025December 4, 2018Leave a Comment

Here’s a dish I grew up enjoying, but rather than starting with the chicken as I’m about to show you, mom would typically use curry or stewed chicken she made the day before. After sharing similar recipes using both French and String Beans, I was asked to do this version.. with Bodi (aka Bora or Yard Beans). The only real difference in using Bodi is that it can be a bit tougher and needs a few extra minutes to go fully tender.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs chicken (cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon veg oil
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 shallot (or small onion)
5-7 cloves garlic
1 bundle Bodi (about 4-5 cups when trimmed)
1 – 1 1/2 cup water

Note: Add more Scotch Bonnet when cooking the ‘curry’ at the start for an extra kick to the dish. Important! If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may have flour as a filler.

Clean and trim the chicken (fat and skin etc) then season with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling the spicy pepper. Allow to marinate for 1/2 hour.

During this time you can trim and prep the Bodi. Cut off the tips (discard) then cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces, wash with cool water. To keep it fresh I usually leave the trimmed bodi (any beans I use) covered in cool water in a deep bowl.

Heat the veg oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, then go in with the sliced shallot (substitute an onion if necessary) , and garlic. Turn the heat to as low as it will go and cook for about 3-4 minutes. I added a few extra slices of scotch bonnet pepper for an extra kick.

Add the cumin seeds and stir well, then add the curry powder and cook for another 3-5 minutes. This will ensure we won’t get a “raw” curry taste at the end, plus it will allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to bloom and give us an amazing curry base. The longer you cook the ‘curry’ the darker it will get. Heat still on low as we don’t want things to burn.

Now crank-up the heat to high and start adding the marinated chicken to the pot. Yes it’s ok if the marinade goes in too. Stir well to coat the chicken with that lovely curry base.

Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to medium. It will spring it’s own natural juices. after bout 5-7 minutes, remove the lid, crank up the heat and burn off that liquid. That will infuse the chicken with the curry flavor. Then add the trimmed Bodi to the pot and stir well. heat on high.

Swish around the water in the same bowl you marinated the chicken in to pick up any remaining marinade, then add that water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for about 25-30 minutes.

After 25 minutes or so the bodi should be nice and tender and the chicken fully cooked. You may check for salt and adjust accordingly and you have the option of having a gravy or turn the heat up to burn off all the liquid. I was serving this on rice so I wanted a bit of gravy.

An amazing curry dish with chicken and beans, packed with Caribbean goodness. Excellent served with hot roti, rice or a side dish as you’d normally serve.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Gluten Free Seafood

Bodi Stewed In Coconut Milk And Salted Cod.

May 28, 2025November 16, 20131 Comment

As a young fella on the islands I fondly remember helping our mom pick (harvest) the mature bodi (bora, long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, pea bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean) which grew on the bamboo branches our dad would place next to the plants for the vine to spread. Something about the long beans cascading down like lengthened streams of water falling from the heavens attracted my attention. Especially when we had a good crop and the beans were the length of long shoe laces. However you had to be careful when picking the bodi when there were still flowers on the vine, as they attracted bees who did their thing pollinating so we could have a continuous crop.

If you can’t source bodi (bora in Guyana) french beans, string beans or any of your favorite green beans will work for this recipe. The one thing you will have to note though is the cooking time for the beans you select. Bodi is a bit tough so it takes about 5-10 minutes longer to cook than other beans.

You’ll Need…

1 bundle bodi (about 1lb)
3 cloves garlic (diced)
2 tablespoon olive oil (veg oil works great as well)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 medium onion (sliced)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (any spicy pepper)
dash black pepper
1 cup shredded salted cod
8 cherry tomatoes

* Prep salted fish – soak – boil – drain and shred – please use boned salted fish for less work. Click here >> How To Prepare Salted Fish <<< to learn how to prepare saltfish for use. IMPORTANT: IF doing this recipe gluten free do go through the ingredient list to make sure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Heat the oil on a medium heat, then add the salted fish and cook on low for about 3 minutes to create a lovely base of flavour. Then add the garlic and onion and cook for another 3 minutes on low heat. Stir well.

While this cook wash the bodi, then trim off about 1/4 inch off both ends and discard. Now cut them into 1 – 1.5 inch pieces.

Turn the heat up to medium/high, add the trimmed bodi as well as the other ingredients (except the tomatoes) and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot and let it cook for about 20 minutes. After-which remove the lid, taste for salt (adjust accordingly to your taste) and turn the heat up to burn off all excess liquid.Should not have any liquid when done.

You will notice that the bodi will not have the brilliant green color you started off with (normal) and you can personalize this by cooking to the consistency you like as I know many people who like their beans with a little crunch to them. Add the tomato (toss), turn the heat off and cover the pot. The residual heat will gently cook the tomato.

If you want to make this fully vegetarian you can leave out the salted fish and start by gently cooking the onion and garlic and proceed from there (for extra flavor you can add a vegetable stock cube). And remember if you can’t source bodi, you can use your favorite green bean with great results. To stretch this dish for more people you can add some cubed potato, but do remember to adjust the amount of salt you add.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

curry bodi

Curry Bodi With Potatoes.

Bodi (Yard Beans, Bora or Green Beans) With Shrimp.

Curry Chicken With Bodi (aka Yard Bean or Bora).

Bodi Stewed In Coconut Milk And Salted Cod.

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