The Vibrant Caribbean Pot Cookbook
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Seafood

Caribbean Curry Fish With Green Mango.

curry fish with mango (2)

Here’s another one of those dishes I disliked as a young fella on the islands, but as an adult it definitely hits the spot when I’m looking for something warm and comforting. Especially when I’m not too lazy to make hot Sada Roti. I’m sure this combination of mango and fish came about as a means of stretching the dish when one didn’t have a lot of fish and a few people to feed. Plus the tartness of the green mango works well with the curry base as well.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs fish (white ocean fish)
1/2 lime (for washing the fish)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (for seasoning the fish)
1 cup water
oil for frying the fish (about 2 cups veg oil)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon veg oil
2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/2 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 medium tomato
2 scallions
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 large green mango (cut into pieces)

Season the cleaned/washed  fish with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt, 1/2 the black pepper and the 1/2 teaspoon curry powder. Allow it to marinate for an hr, then lightly dust in the flour and fry on each side for about 4 minutes each. Set aside to drain on paper towels. I gave each fish a couple cuts on the thickest part of the belly to help the marinade get in and to help in cook evenly. (wash the fish with cool water and the juice of the lime, before you begin)

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In the same bowl you marinated the fish, add the water and swish around to pick up any remaining marinade. Set aside. Wash and cut the mango (I discarded the seed) into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

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In another wide pan heat the 2 tablespoon veg oil, then add the diced onion and garlic.. reduce the heat to low so you don’t burn the garlic. Add as much Caribbean Sunshine (Scotch Bonnet pepper) as you think you can handle and stir well. heat low.

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With the heat still on low, add the remaining black pepper and the curry powder. Stir well. Cook on low for 3-4 minutes to cook off any raw curry taste.

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It will go clumpy, darker in color and your kitchen will have the lovely aroma of the spices which makes up a good curry powder. Add the pieces of mango and stir well to coat. Then go in with the water we reserved in the bowl we seasoned the fish in. Turn up the heat and bring to boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 6-8 minutes.

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The mango should be somewhat tender at this point (cook longer if you want it more tender), push things around and add the previously fried fish to the pot. be gentle as we don’t want to break the fish. Try to spoon on some of the gravy over the fish to coat it. Add a bit more water if you need. Top with the scallions and diced tomato, then simmer with the lid on the pot for 5 minutes.

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Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. The mango should be tender and you should have a lovely curry sauce/gravy to eat with your steamed rice, roti or boiled ground provision. Please be mindful that the fish I used had bones.. you may use boneless fish pieces if you want. As mentioned in the video, I completely forgot the name of the fish I used, but I do know it’s an ocean fish (white).

I do hope you give this curry fish with pieces of tender green mango a try. The flavor will be unlike any curry dish you’ve ever had.

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

Gluten Free Main Dishes

Mango Talkari (masala mango).

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If you’re longtime fan of the website and you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that this is the second time I’m sharing this recipe. And truth be told, I have yet another version to share with you in the coming months. You’ll notice subtle differences with this recipe from the original one, while still maintaining some level of the traditional feel of making Mango Talkari. A great ‘snack’ on it’s own or the perfect side-dish when you’re serving curry dishes.It’s one of those things we make often when mangoes are in ‘season’ in the Caribbean.

You’ll Need…

3 large green mangoes
water for boiling the cut mangoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 scotch bonnet pepper (any hot pepper will work)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tablespoon Amchar Massala
1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds (geera)
2 tablespoon veg oil
3-4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/3 cup water

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. When handling such hot peppers like Scotch Bonnets, remember to wear gloves and wash your hand immediately after with soap and water.

Cut the mango into 1/2 inch thick pieces (leave the skin and hard core on it). Use a meat cleaver or heavy chefs knife. Additionally, if you live in the Caribbean you may find the mango being sold already cut in the market. When you cut open the mango you’ll see a white sponge-like core.. remove/discard that.

Wash the mango pieces, then cover with water in a deep pot and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil, add the salt and cook for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

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As the mango boils, you can prep the other ingredients.

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Heat the veg oil on a medium flame in a wide pan, then add the smashed garlic. Lower the heat to as low as it can go and cook for 30 seconds, then add the cumin (geera) seeds and mix well. Cook for another minute or so.

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Then add the Amchar Massala (heat still on low) and toast in the oil to bloom the spices which makes up the blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add 1/2 the cilantro and all the diced scotch bonnet pepper to the pot ( I used the seeds too for extra fyah!). Mix and cook for another minute or so. Traditionally in the Caribbean we would use Shado beni (Chandon Beni aka Culantro).

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You can now turn the heat up to medium, add the pre-cooked mango pieces and stir well. Then add the brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil

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You may put a lid on it and cook for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir a couple times. You may personalize this a few ways. Taste for salt and adjust (you may need more if the mangoes are too tart), do the same for sugar as well. If you like it more ‘falling-apart” you may need to add a bit more water and cook longer. Remove the lid and if it’s to the texture/consistency you like, turn off the stove, top with the rest of the cilantro and enjoy!

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The perfect balance of tart, sweet and spicy, Mango talkari is vegan friendly and gluten free.. but most of all it’s the ideal way to put green mangoes to delicious use.  Store in the fridge for about 1 week. My greedy side almost ate all of this in one sitting yea! When I make a large batch I usually place portions in freezer bags and freeze them for months. Thaw in the fridge and use the same day.

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

 

Main Dishes Vegetarian

Pommecythere Amchar Talkari.

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You’re probably wondering what the heck is wrong with Chris,  when you read both Amchar and talkari as the heading of this recipe. I didn’t know if this would be considered amchar, talkari or curry Pommecythere considering I didn’t use any curry in cooking it. All I know is that the few times I had this growing up, was the occasional time I would purchase some from the many street food vendors outside the gates at our high school. Are there still food vendors outside schools today in Trinidad and Tobago?

This is the first time I was making this dish and I must say that I’m quite proud of the results.

You’ll Need…

3 Pommecythere (green / fully developed)
2 tablespoon amchar massala
1 teaspoon salt
1 scotch bonnnet pepper (any hot pepper would work)
3 cloves garlic – crushed
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoon brown sugar (golden.. not dark)
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 medium onion sliced thin (optional)

Note: Depending on how sour or tart your Pommecytheres are, you may need to add a bit more salt. The idea is to get a sort of savory taste, with the richness of the brown sugar and amchar massala. So if at the end you find it to be a bit tart, add a bit more salt or sugar.

Some people tend to pre-boil the Pommecythere pieces before actually cooking it in the massala. By doing so you achieve two thing. 1. Speeds up the cooking time, as it will already be tender. And 2. The pre-boiling tends to remove some of the tartness from the Pommecythere. If you decide on pre-boiling, you’ll only need about 1/4 cup water as mentioned in the ingredients listed above and you’ll cook it only a few minutes after adding all the ingredients to the pot.

If you’re wondering what Pommecythere is…

From Wikipedia : Spondias dulcis or Ambarella, (and its alternative binomial, Spondias cytherea, Malay Apple), Golden apple, is an equatorial or tropical tree, with edible fruit containing a fibrous pit. It is known by many names in various regions, including Pomme cythere in Trinidad and Tobago, June plum in Jamaica, Juplon in Costa Rica, Jobo Indio in Venezuela, and Caja-manga in Brazil.

Give the Pommecythere a good rinse under running water, then using a cleaver or heavy knife, cut through them into wedges (see pic below). Give them a another rinse if you like. Then get the other ingredients ready. You’ll notice that I didn’t bother peeling the Pommecythere as I find that the skin adds to the overall texture at the end. And you will find that the center of the Pommecythere is somewhat spiny and tough.. this is why I used a heavy cleaver to cut through them.

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Heat the vegetable oil in a fairly heavy/deep pan and add the onion and garlic. Allow that to cook for a few minutes, then add the slices of pepper. Remember (I learned the hard way today) that the fumes from the pepper meeting the heated oil will be strong and cause you to cough. Open your kitchen windows and turn on the vent fan if you have one over your stove.

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Allow this to cook for about 3 minutes, then add the pieces of cut Pommecythere and give it a good stir. Next up..  add the amchar massala and stir again. Now add the sugar, salt and water and bring to a boil.

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After it comes to a boil, reduce the flame to between a rolling boil and simmer.. place the lid on the pot and allow this to cook for about 25-30 minutes. Basically until it’s tender and becomes a thick sort of sauce. Remember what I mentioned in the note above and check to ensure it’s not to tart or sour as we would say on the islands.

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This is used as a condiment for many curry dishes, spicy snack or as a side with roti in many instances. Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

A savoury and explosive mango talkari.

massala mangoTalkari or talcarie is a term used to describe a curry or side dish on the islands, and is East Indian in origin. Mango talkari (my mouth still waters as I recall my school boy days) or Mango Amchar was sold by vendors just outside the gates of my primary and secondary school. At breaks it would be a mad dash to fork out your 50 cents daily allowance to grab a pack of this spicy mango snack. There were times that the vendor would use too much pepper in it’s creation and you’d be gasping for air with the heat, by the time you’d be back in English Lit class.

Before we get to the actual recipe I’d like to point out that there are different variations of making this talkari. Some people pre-boil the mangoes or you can cook it directly in the amchar massala as I’m about to show you. There’s also a difference in ways you can finish. You can try to keep the mango pieces whole or in my case, try to get it to melt a bit and form a gooey texture.

You’ll need..

2 green mangoes (cut into wedges)
2 tablespoons Amchar Massala
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper (optional)
1 habanero pepper – sliced thin (or your favourite hot pepper)
3 cloves garlic crushed/chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Wash and cut the stem of the mangoes and get ready to cut into pieces. I’ve created a short video (see bottom of page) showing you how to go about cutting the mangoes to the required size. Bear in mind that I’m making this mango talkari with the skin and seed still attached. However you can also peel and cube the mango into pieces if you don’t want to be bothered with the time and effort it takes to cut the hard seed of the mango. If you do go this route, it will decrease on the cooking time and chances are you will end up with a more “melted” texture to the mango talkari.

After you’ve cut the mango into 1 cm pieces, wash and set aside to start cooking (be sure to remove the inside white pieces of seed that inside the mango seed itself) . In a heavy bottom pot/pan add the oil and allow to heat. Then toss in the garlic and slices of hot peppers, allow this to cook for a minute or 2 on medium heat.

green mango for talkari

how to make mango talkari

divali mango talkari

trinida dmango talkari

Now we’ll add the pieces of mango and the amchar massala and stir to coat every piece of mango with the massala. After a couple minutes turn down the heat between medium and low and add the salt and sugar. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about 30-45 minutes. Depending on the type of green mango you used the cooking time will vary, as well as the tartness when you bite into it. Keep this in mind as you taste near the end for salt and sugar… add more accordingly. You’re looking for a taste with a combination of the massala, sweetness, tartness and heat from the hot pepper we used. You’re probably saying in your head “Chris how the heck should we know what you mean?” trust me, once you taste it you’ll know if you need to add more sugar and/or salt. If all you can taste is the massala or a tart taste…  you need more sugar and a pinch of salt. BTW, the ideal mango talkari will have a lingering taste of the hot pepper and not be overwhelmed by heat. Unless this is to your liking!

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massala for mango

trini mango talkari

mango talkari recipe

massala mango

mango talkari

I have a feeling I missed something in the description so let’s recap…

– remove the stem and cut the mango into pieces (wash and remove seed pieces)

– heat oil and cook garlic and hot peppers

– add mango and massala

– add sugar and salt, turn down the heat and cook with pot covered for about 40 minutes or until tender and coated. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning.

* Remember for faster cooking and to avoid having to cut the mango seed.. peel and cube the green mango.

Couple things I’d like to mention before I finish up with this recipe.. be sure to get “full” mango for best results. A full mango is one that’s mature enough to go to ripe soon and will be a yellowish shade when you cut it open (it will be less tart or sour) . The second thing I’d like to mention is that the hot pepper is an important part of this recipe, so even if you can’t handle the habanero or scotch bonnet, you can use a milder pepper. One that you can handle!

Be sure to leave me your comments or questions below.

Happy Cooking!