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Caribbean Curry Chicken: Bunjay Style (Easy Dry Curry Recipe)

April 12, 2026April 12, 2026Leave a Comment

Caribbean Curry Chicken: Bunjay Style is one of those traditional dishes that truly captures the depth and character of island cooking, yet it’s slowly fading from many of our tables as more people lean toward curry chicken with gravy or sauce. This version is all about the bunjay technique, what we call “fry-down” in Trinidad and Tobago, and bunjal as it’s known in Guyana. In Guyana, this same method is referred to as bunjal, where the curry is cooked down until dry and intensely concentrated. It’s a method where a strong, fragrant curry base is developed, and smaller pieces of bone-in chicken are cooked on a high heat without adding liquid, allowing the natural juices and spices to create a rich, flavorful coating.

Growing up in Guaracara, Trinidad, I don’t recall my mom making this dish for us, but her aunt, who lived next door, certainly did. On those special Sunday mornings, when her children would be visiting, there was always curry aloo, dhalpuri roti, and this bunjay curry chicken. We were always included in the dining, and to this day, that aroma of curry toasting in oil takes me right back to those moments.

Whether you call it bunjay in Trinidad or bunjal in Guyana, this Caribbean Curry Chicken is about honoring that tradition, where the finished dish is dry, deeply spiced, and allows both the chicken and the technique to shine.

Ingredient Guide

Chicken legs Provides rich flavor from the bone and skin, which is essential for the oils and depth needed in a proper bunjay or bunjal.
Lime or lemon Used in the traditional washing process, part of Caribbean cooking heritage.
Salt Essential for seasoning and enhancing all the flavors.
Black pepper Adds a mild heat and balance.
Curry powder The main flavor base, giving color, aroma, and signature Caribbean taste.
Caribbean green seasoning A blend of herbs that builds foundational flavor.
Vegetable oil Needed to properly toast the curry and spices.
Onion Adds sweetness and body to the base.
Garlic Brings depth and savory richness.
Scotch bonnet pepper Adds heat and a fruity Caribbean flavor profile.
Turmeric Enhances color and adds earthy notes.
Ground roasted geera Adds a nutty, toasted cumin flavor typical in Trinidad curries.
Anchar masala Brings tangy, spiced complexity unique to Caribbean curry dishes.
Water Helps bring the curry base together before it cooks down.
Tomato Adds slight acidity and richness.
Cilantro Used at the end for freshness and brightness.

Shopping Made Easy

You can find most ingredients at major supermarkets, especially the chicken, onion, garlic, and herbs.
Caribbean green seasoning is available at Caribbean markets or can be made at home.
Look for Caribbean-style curry powder for the most authentic result.
Scotch bonnet peppers are best sourced from Caribbean or international grocery stores.
Anchar masala and roasted geera (cumin) are typically found in West Indian grocery shops.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

Washing chicken with lime or lemon is a traditional step rooted in Caribbean cooking practices.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken is key to developing the oils needed in a dry curry.
The bunjay or bunjal method depends on managing heat to build flavor without burning.
The scent and sound of the curry toasting are important indicators of proper technique.
This dish should finish dry, with no visible sauce or gravy.

Caribbean Curry Chicken: Bunjay Style

A traditional Caribbean Curry Chicken using the bunjay method, also known as bunjal in Guyana, a dry curry technique that builds deep flavor without added liquid.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Marinating 2

Course Caribbean Classics, Chicken Recipes, Easy Caribbean Recipes, Featured, Main Course, Weeknight Dinners

Cuisine General Caribbean

Servings

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken legs bone-in, skin-on, cut in half
1 lime or lemon juiced
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons curry powder divided
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced
6 cloves garlic smashed
1 scotch bonnet pepper optional
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 tablespoon ground roasted geera
3/4 tablespoon anchar masala or garam masala
2 tablespoons water
1 small tomato grated
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped

Instructions

IMPORTANT! As part of the heritage of Caribbean cooking, we wash meats with the juice of a lime or lemon and cool water. If you're not comfortable doing so due to meat handling regulations, may I suggest you skip that part.
For best results, please use bone-in chicken like the thigh or drumsticks. Leave the skin on as well, as I explain why in the video below.
Season with the salt, black pepper, green seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Mix well and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame and add the onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the turmeric (we say sorfran), geera (cumin), anchar masala (I’m not a fan of garam masala, but you may use that instead), and the remaining curry powder. Your senses will be captivated with the sizzle of the spices toasting in the hot oil, and the fragrance will immediately take you back to the islands, with fond memories of those Sunday mornings when the village would have that comforting scent of curry in the air.
Cook for 3 minutes, then add the tomato and 2 tablespoons of water, and burn off any liquid. The addition of the grated tomato will add a balance of acid notes, which complement the spices we used.e
Once you see the oil at the bottom of the pot we started with, add the seasoned chicken and immediately turn up the heat a bit to sear the chicken pieces. This is the bunjay of the curry and the chicken, or bunjal as it’s commonly said in Guyana.
After 2 minutes, turn the heat back down to medium, put the lid on the pan, and cook for another 3–4 minutes. This will allow the chicken to release its natural juices.
Now remove the lid, stir well, and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Turn the heat down if the liquid is drying up too quickly.
Taste and adjust the salt to your liking, and make sure you can see the oils from the rendered skin and what we started with. This bunjay curry chicken is meant to be dry, meaning no sauce or gravy.
Once you're happy that we’ve achieved true bunjay or bunjal, finish with the cilantro and turn off the heat. Were I in the Caribbean, I’d be using chadon beni. Serve with rice and dhal.

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Caribbean Curry Chicken bunjay style?

Caribbean Curry Chicken bunjay style is a dry curry where the chicken is cooked without added liquid, allowing the spices and natural juices to concentrate into a rich, flavorful coating. In Guyana, this same style is known as bunjal.

What does bunjay or bunjal mean?

Bunjay in Trinidad and bunjal in Guyana both refer to the same cooking method of frying down curry until it becomes dry and intensely flavored.

Why is the chicken washed with lime or lemon?

This is a traditional Caribbean practice tied to heritage and food preparation. It is believed to cleanse and lightly flavor the meat before cooking.

Can I make this with boneless chicken?

Bone-in chicken is strongly recommended because it releases natural oils and flavor that are essential for the bunjay or bunjal technique.

What should I serve with Caribbean Curry Chicken?

It pairs well with rice, dhal, or roti, such as dhalpuri, making it a classic and satisfying Caribbean meal.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How To Get A Rich Thick Curry Chicken Gravy.

May 27, 2025October 18, 2023Leave a Comment

Over the years I’ve shared many curry recipes, including ones where the main ingredient is poultry of some sort. However I’ve never addressed the mélange of struggles people tend to have in achieving a lovely thick sauce or gravy. This is NOT a Curry Chicken Recipe, but the focus is, getting you that ultimate curry sauce with your curry chicken.

May I recommend that you watch the video below to follow along, as the complete cooking of the curry chicken is covered and should you want a specific Curry Chicken Recipe << Click!

Season and marinate the chicken as you normally would.

On a medium flame, heat your oil (about 2 – 3 tablespoons) then add diced onion (large), garlic (9-12 cloves), 3 Pimento Peppers (diced) and 1 teaspoon black pepper. After a couple minutes, add a tablespoon of Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir well.

Once the onion is soft (about 4 minutes), add your favorite curry powder and cook for a further 3 minutes. In my case I added 3 tablespoons of curry. Be sure to stir so nothing burns. See the video where I share a tip on how to cut back on the amount of oil to use.

That step will bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder. With your heat still on medium, add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. This step is to cook out the ‘rawness’ of the curry.

Add 2 medium tomatoes diced, along with 2 scallions diced. Should you want to make the Curry Chicken SPICY, add your fav hot pepper. I added a Scotch Bonnet pepper.

As this cooks down, add 1 tablespoon of Anchar Masala (see your local or online West Indian supermarket). If you can’t source Anchar Masala, add Garam Masala or extra geera (ground roasted cumin).

The goal now is to burn off all the liquid to created a thick slurry. In the video I explained that you’ll need for it to go until you can see the oil we started with and you can path the curry slurry with your spoon or spatula.

It’s now time to turn up the heat to medium high and start adding your seasoned and marinated chicken to the pot. Stir well! While this will work with white and/or boneless chicken, I get he best results with dark bone-in chicken (leg and thigh).

Bring to a boil (yes it will spring it’s own juices), cover the pot, reduce the heat to med/low and cook for 7-10 minutes.

At this point, add 1 1/2 cups of water (add more if you want even more gravy) and bring back to a boil to finish cooking the chicken. Medium low heat will ensure you have a steady bubble. FYI.. When I marinated my seasoned chicken I included salt.

After about 8 minutes after adding the additional water, I added chopped Shado Beni and 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera).

Time to personalize things. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking, make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through and decide if the sauce/gravy is to thick enough for you. Do keep in mind that it will thicken further as it cools. If you find that it’s runny, turn up the heat, lid off and cook further.

Tip! Try to use a heavy iron or glazed enamel pot, which will evenly distribute the heat.

By starting with the creation of the thick slurry at the start, you’re guaranteed to have a lovely curry sauce at the end.

Incredible Caribbean Curry Chicken With Potato.

May 27, 2025November 14, 20215 Comments

No you’re not seeing double! If you’ve been following my culinary exploits here from day one, you would have seen me share a similar Curry Chicken With Potato (aloo) recipe about 8 years ago. And while that recipe is timeless, the google indexing bots are no longer as kind to the website, so if you were do do a search online you’ll never find that classic (original) recipe.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (sliced)
5-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
5 1/2 cups water (divided)
2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon roasted geera (cumin)
1 teaspoon anchar masala
5 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4’s)
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro

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. Especially the curry powder – read the label if you don’t make your own. I used an extra Habanero pepper (floated) in this dish as I enjoy my curry very spicy.

Watch the video below to see how I broke down a whole chicken for this recipe. Feel free to use thighs or drums if that is what you have on hand or prefer using. Additionally, you may use chicken breast, but IMHO you get better results with bone in/ dark meat.

Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoon of the Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well and allow to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

Heat your deep pot on a medium flame and add the oil. Followed by the onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Turn the heat down to low and gently cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the remaining Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir. 30 seconds later add the curry powder and mix well.. heat still on low please. This step will toast the curry powder and bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder.

4 Minutes later, crank the heat to high and add 1/2 cup water, stir and then add the Geera and anchar masala (you can get this on amazon or your local Caribbean market – or double up on the roasted geera aka cumin). The goal here is to do two things. 1 Cook out the rawness of the curry and 2. to burn off the water we added to intensify the flavor of the curry base.

It will go dark, thick and perfume the kitchen with all the curry niceness. As soon as all the liquid is gone and you can see the oil we started with, add the seasoned chicken and stir well to coat each piece.

Bring to a boil (about 3-4 minutes), turn the heat down to medium and cover the pot. In the same bowl you marinated the chicken swish around the 5 cups of water and set aside for now.

After 4 minutes with that lid on, you’ll notice a lot of liquid sprouted. Turn the heat back up to high and burn off that liquid to intensify the overall flavor of the curry. (lid off).

3-4 minutes on high and the liquid should be gone. Add the potato, stir and add the 5 cups of water to fully cook the chicken and get the potatoes tender and falling apart.

As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a rolling boil, lid on (slightly ajar) and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. This is where I floated the Habanero pepper (not mentioned in the ingredient list) .. if you do, you can break it later on as I did, to release the fury or don’t break to get the flavor of the oil on the outside of the pepper and not the raw heat.

Here is where you’ll taste it for salt and adjust to your liking. Also, you can (up to you) use your spoon to crush some of the potato pieces to help thicken the gravy.

I allowed the pot to go for 4 minutes with the lid off and then it was time to turn off the stove, toss in the cilantro (better if you have shado beni) and get ready for an incredible curry dish. IMPORTANT! If it looks runny, please note that it will thicken up as it cools down.

Back to using chicken breast… be sure to check out my Curry Chicken Breast video if you like white meat and you don’t want dry, bland and tough curry chicken without bones and dark meat.

Serve with hot steaming rice or your favorite Roti! 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/

Curry Chicken With Eggplant Simmered In Coconut Milk.

May 27, 2025October 12, 20138 Comments

Even as child my mom recalls how much I loved eggplant (baigan), stewed, curry and my all-time favorite , roasted over an open flame and made into baigan choka. Today that affection for eggplant aka aubergine, baigan, brinjal, brinjal eggplant and melongene is just as strong and I try to find different ways to put this lovely vegetable to use. In this recipe we’ll go through the steps of making a classic Caribbean style curry chicken, then we’ll add the cubed eggplant along with some potatoes into the pot with the coconut milk and let it simmer to perfection in the curry sauce.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs chicken thighs (skinless)
1 large eggplant
4 medium potatoes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon veg oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
3 birds eye (bird pepper) pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water

Notes. I like using a madras blend curry made in the Caribbean, but you can use your fav. Feel free to use 1/4 scotch bonnet pepper instead of the bird pepper.

Wash, drain and season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning, then allow it to marinate for about 2 hours.

Now heat the oil on a medium flame (in a deep sauce pan) and add the diced onion and garlic to the pot. Turn the heat down to low and let that cook for about 3 minutes so they soften up and start a lovely flavor base.

With your heat still on low, add the curry powder, stir well and let that toast for about 3-5 minutes. The curry will go darker, start to go grainy and take on a wonderful scent. Be sure the heat is on low to avoid the curry burning. In this step we’re cooking the curry so you don’t get that ‘raw’ curry taste when the dish is done cooking. We’re also awakening the spices which make up the curry powder.

15 minutes before you’re ready to cook, take the marinating chicken out of the fridge so it comes back to room temperature. Now add the seasoned chicken to the pot, turn up the heat so you can sear the chicken and get the pieces covered in the curry base we made. Turn the heat back down to med/low, place the lid on and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Add the birds eye peppers at this time as well.

The chicken will release it’s own natural juices, so turn the heat up and burn off that liquid. This will help to intensify the curry flavor of the chicken. It’s now time to add the cubed eggplant (you can peel it or leave it with the skin on), the cubed potatoes and top it with the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil (raise the heat), then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender. You can have the lid slightly ajar as it cooks and do remember to stir every 5-8 minutes.

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If the sauce (gravy) is thin all you have to do is press a few pieces of the potato with the back of your spoon to crush them and it will help thicken up things. This curry chicken with eggplant will not be the most attractive dish, but I assure the curry base with the addition of the coconut milk will ensure you have a very flavorsome dish.

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.

Ultimate Curry Chicken?

May 27, 2025January 8, 201047 Comments

A few months back I came across a wonderful video online of a fellow Trinbagonian living in the US who created a cooking video called “The Ultimate Curry Chicken” and though his method and ingredients of cooking curry chicken was a bit different than mine, I’m sure it was just as tasty. If you’ve watched my introduction video (click on “About” above) you’ll know that curry is not one of the things we grew up on and only years later when I moved to Canada and lived with my aunt, did I really start eating it. Don’t get me wrong, our mom is an excellent cook when it comes to anything curry, it’s just we didn’t have it as often. I’ve been lucky enough to have my mom close (about 1 hour away) the past few years, so over this time I’ve taken her recipe and made some slight changes to call it my own. BTW if you’re in the Toronto area and you’re looking to have some food catered (Trini dishes), be sure to contact me and I’ll not only get you some amazing food, but I’ll even hook you up with a nice discount. I’m not in the catering business, but my sister is and it seems she’s doing an amazing job with the rate her business is growing.

You’ll Need…

3 Lbs Chicken
3/4 tablespoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (scotch bonnet, habanero or any hot pepper you like) *Optional.
heaping tablespoon curry powder (madras)
1/4 teaspoon roasted Geera (powder)
1 medium tomato diced
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 teaspoon green seasoning mix
2 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons water (to cook curry)
1 scallion
Shado beni (see note below)

* I usually use dark meat (with bones) when cooking curry as I find that the overall taste of the finished dish is more tasty. However the recipe works just as well with white meat (may be a bit dry though)

* Since shado beni is not readily available to us in the city where I live (and I can’t grow it) I usually get some shipped to me and immediately after I get it, it goes into my freezer. Then whenever I’m cooking I break off a few leaves to add to my dish. So if you can get access to some at your local store, remember that freezing is also an option if you get a large package. I also find that the frozen leaves holds more flavour than if you were to puree the leaves as we do with green seasoning mix.

* If you don’t have the green seasoning the recipe calls for, feel free to use about a tablespoon of each of the following (chopped):
– cilantro
– thyme
– shallots
* Spanish thyme would also be a good addition if you can get access to it.

* In the recipe you notice that I cooked the frozen shado beni with the onions before adding the curry. If you’re using fresh shado beni you’ll get better results if you season the chicken with it, rather than cooking it as I did. If you don’t have any shado beni, you can also substitute cilantro for it (add about 2-3 tablespoon chopped to the seasoned chicken)

I got a package of chicken legs with back attached, so this means I had to cut it into serving size pieces before I could get started. After I cut the chicken into pieces it was placed in a bowl with some water and the juice of the lime (see ingredients above) to be washed. I then drained out the water and squeezed it as dry as I could.

The next step is to season the chicken and allow it to marinate for a couple hours. Add the salt, black pepper, tomato, green seasoning, and scallion (chopped) to the bowl with the chicken and stir so everything gets coated.

After it’s been marinating for a couple hrs, it’s time to start cooking. In a fairly large pan, heat the oil (2 tablespoon) on high heat and get prepared to add the sliced onions, garlic and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes until the onions go soft and start to go a bit brown. I then turn the heat to medium and add a few leaves of the frozen shado beni to the pot followed by the curry and geera (cumin) and stir. You may notice that the pot is “dry”, this is when I add another tablespoon of oil to the pot so nothing sticks. The next step is to add the 6 tablespoons of water, turn the heat down and allow this to cook for a couple minutes. This will bring out the true aroma of the curry.

As the liquid burns off it’s time to start adding the pieces of seasoned chicken to the pot. Turn the heat back up to high and stir each piece so it get’s in contact with the cooked curry. After you’ve added all the seasoned chicken, turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

You’ll notice that the chicken will spring it’s own juices, so after 15 minutes remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. We’ll now burn off that liquid. As the liquid burns off from the pot (make sure you keep stirring) you’ll see nothing but a bit of oil at the bottom with a sort of curry paste (this is the good stuff).

In the same bowl you seasoned the chicken add the 1 1/2 cups of water so we can pick up any remaining seasoning that was left behind. Now add the water from the bowl to the pot to continue the cooking process.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer with the pot covered (stir occasionally). After 20 minutes, remove the cover and check the sauce or gravy to see if it’s the consistency you like. Usually I have to turn the heat up a bit to reduce the curry sauce as I like it a bit thick.

I’m sure many of you may have a different way of making curry chicken or as our friends from Guyana say “chicken curry” , so I encourage you to share you method with us in the comments box below this post. Don’t forget to also join us on facebook below:

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Ingredient Guide

Shopping Made Easy

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

Caribbean Curry Chicken: Bunjay Style

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients