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Meat & Poultry

Incredible Curry Beef With Potato.

Curry Beef With Potato! Can Caribbean food get any better? Fork tender pieces of beef, potatoes falling apart to form a rich and thick gravy, the overall flavors of curry, herbs and the gentle kick of Caribbean Sunshine (scotch bonnet). Need I say more?

You’ll Need…

3 lbs stewing beef (cubed)
1/2 lemon (juice)
3/4 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tomato (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Amchar Massala
1 tablespoon olive oil (for seasoning the beef)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
2 tablespoon veg or olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic (diced)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup water
6 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4’s)
3 cups water
1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

NOTE! I used boneless beef, but pieces with bones will give you a better flavor to the dish. With that in mind I added some oil to the beef when I seasoned it, to compensate for the lack of fat. Additionally (important) If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the complete list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler. Use as much (or none) Scotch Bonnet as you like.

Cut the beef into 1-1.5 inch pieces and wash with lemon juice and cool water. Drain dry and season with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, scotch bonnet, olive oil (1 tablespoon), tomato and Amchar Masala. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. If you can’t source Amchar Masala, use roasted ground cumin.

Heat your pot (something heavy works best IMHO) on a medium flame, go in with the 2 tablespoon veg (or olive) oil, turn the heat down to low and add the onion and garlic. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes. As it cooks, add the curry powder to the 1/4 cup of water and stir to form a slurry (set aside).

Add the curry slurry to the pot (heat on medium now) and stir. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to cook off the rawness of the curry and to bloom the spices which makes up a good curry powder. It will go dark and start to clump.

Turn the heat to medium / high now and start adding the seasoned beef to the pot. Stir to coat and pick up the curry base we created. Yes, you can add the marinade to the pot too. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, add the water and stir (set aside for later).

Place a lid on the pot (once it comes to a boil), heat down to low and cook for about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the lid, crank the heat up to high to burn off all the liquid it would have sprouted naturally. It may take up to 5 -7 minutes to get back to the oil we started off with (at the bottom of the pan).

Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Then add the water we had reserved in the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, lid on and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Taste for salt and adjust and get the gravy to the consistency you like (cook longer if it’s too thin). If the beef is not tender, you may need to cook on low for 30 minutes more. Add more water if necessary. Toss in the cilantro as you turn off the heat.

This curry beef with potato is an excellent way to put cheaper cuts of beef to use. Adding the potatoes is a means of stretching this dish to feed more people… something mom would do when we were kids and she had to feed the entire family.

Gluten Free Vegan

Classic Curry Chickpeas With Potato & Spinach. #Vegan

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (8)

As a small fella on the islands, one of my favorite dishes mom would make was curry potato as we say “Curry Aloo” in Trinidad and Tobago. It was usually a Saturday morning meal, with hot Sada Roti and a side Mango kuchela. With my love for this dish, there are times I add a can of chickpeas (channa) and in this recipe we’ll also add some baby spinach to the mix, for the perfect mix in my humble opinion. I’ve already confessed my luv for all types of spinach greens.

You’ll Need…

2-3 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (diced)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (madras blend)
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3 large potatoes (2 inch cubes)
1 can chickpeas (rinsed)
1/2 lb baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust later)
2 1/2 – 3 cups water

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may have flour as an ingredient.

Heat a wide pan on a medium flame then add the veg oil and as it comes to temperature, turn the heat down to low and go in with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes on that low heat then add the cumin seeds, along with the scotch bonnet pepper and cook another 1-2 minutes. After which you can add the curry powder. Heat still on low. Cook for 3-5 minutes to cook off the raw curry taste one can usually get at the end if not cooked correctly.

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (1)

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (2)

If you find the pan is a bit too dry you can add a bit more veg oil. You should have a more grainy texture and the curry should be a bit darker by now. It’s time to add the potatoes to the pot. Turn up the heat to med-high and stir in well, to coat everything with that lovely curry base. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chickpeas (I used 1 large can which I rinsed well under running water).

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (3)

Add the water and the Caribbean Green Seasoning and bring to a boil.

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As it comes to a boil, cover the pan slightly ajar and turn the heat down so you have a gentle bubble. Add the salt and cook for 25 minutes.

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At this time it should be fully tender, so using your spoon you may crush some of the potato and chickpeas to thicken things up. Taste for salt and adjust, then add the baby spinach to the pot.

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Put the lid back on and cook for another 2-3 minutes.. basically until the spinach wilts down and takes on the curry flavors a bit. This will thicken up further as it cools, so do keep that in mind.

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (7)

In about 30 minutes you’ll be enjoying one of the best curry / vegan dishes you’ll ever have. be sure to have some roti to dip and scoop.

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

Meat & Poultry

Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

curry beef chickpeas (11)

We’ve done channa and aloo (chickpeas and potato) fully vegetarian, with added flavor by adding chicken to the mix and in this recipe we’ll follow the same technique for cooking this tasty curry dish, but we’ll add another unique flavor and texture by starting with a curry beef base. As we’ve discussed in previous posts using chickpeas / garbanzo beans are commonly known as channa in the Southern Caribbean, where there’s a stronger East Indian influence.

You’ll Need…

3/4 lbs stewing beef (cubed)
1 tomato
2 cups water
1 can chickpeas (rinsed/drained)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 shallot
2 scallions (green onions – green part)
2 large potatoes
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garam masalla
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (to your liking)

Notes: you can use a small onion and 4 cloves of garlic if you don’t have the shallot. And finish up with shado beni or cilantro instead of the scallions as I did.

curry beef chickpeas (1)

Start by seasoning the beef with the salt, black pepper, tomato, Scotch bonnet (no seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds as that’s where the real fire is), green seasoning, garam masalla (optional) and ketchup. Yes, KETCHUP.. the acidity and sweetness works well in  the marinade. Mix and allow to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

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Heat the veg oil on a medium flame and add the shallot.. turn the heat down to low and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Then add the curry powder (your fav – I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean). heat still on low.. toast the curry to release all the flavors of the spices which make up the curry mix.

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It will go darker, grainy and your kitchen should have that lovely aroma of curry. This step allows for the curry to cook of any ‘raw’ taste and create a wonderful flavor base for the dish. After 4-5 five mins on low, turn the heat up to high and start adding the marinated pieces of beef. Yes, it’s fine if the marinade goes into the pot as well. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, pour in the water and move it around to pick up all the goodness left behind – hang on to this.

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After you’ve mixed it well and deglaze the bottom of the pan with the seasoned beef, place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. It will release it’s own juices. Then reduce to a simmer (lid slightly ajar) and cook for 12-15 minutes.

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It’s now time to intensify the ‘curry’ flavor by infusing it into the beef. So turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid (lid off). You should be able to see the veg oil you started with at the bottom of the pan.

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Now add the cubed potato (fairly large pieces), the drained and rinsed canned chickpeas and stir well. Heat still on high, now add the water we had in the bowl we marinated the beef in. Bring to a boil.

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Stir well, place the lid on the pot and reduce to a simmer (when it comes to a boil) and let it cook until the pieces of beef are fork tender – about 1 hour. Then remove the lid, crank up the heat so you can get the gravy to the desired thickness you like. To help thicken things you can crush some of the chickpeas and potato with the back of your spoon. Remember to taste for salt and adjust according and do keep in mind that as it cools it will thicken naturally a bit.

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Garnish with chopped scallion.. cilantro or shado beni (culantro) is much better for garnishing, but I was completely out of it. This is awesome served with hot roti, rice or any of your fav flat breads and/or rice.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Chickpeas & Potato (channa and aloo).

curry chickpeas with chicken (2)

Curry channa and aloo (chickpeas and potato) is a classic vegetarian curry dish hailing from the Caribbean… with a strong Indian influence. Due to the fact that Indian indentured laborers where brought in from India after slavery was abolished to upkeep the sugarcane industry. I started adding chicken to the mix as a means of adding more flavor and added texture to the mix. Plus it’s a great way to use chicken breast, without it going dry and bland. I may have mentioned that I’m no fan of chicken breast – more a dark-meat kinda guy. In this recipe we’ll cut back on the overall cooking time by using canned chickpeas (Channa) and in an upcoming post, I’ll show you how to use shrimp instead of chicken.

You’ll Need…

1 lb boneless chicken breast
1 can chick peas (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 scotch bonnet
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tomato
1 teaspoon caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
2 tablespoon cilantro (or shado beni | culantro)
2 cups water
1 large potato
2 slices ginger (optional)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs (specially the curry powder – some brands contain flour as a filler).

curry chickpeas with chicken (3)

Place the cubed (1 inch pieces) chicken in a bowl and season with the chopped tomato, salt, black pepper, Caribbean green seasoning, chopped scotch bonnet (no seeds) and diced tomato. Mix well and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers.

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In a deep saucepan heat the oil on a low heat, then add the diced onion and garlic and cook (low heat) for about 3 minutes. Then add the curry powder (your fav) and cook for another 3-4 minutes on low. This step we’re cooking the rawness of the curry and highlighting the spices which make up the curry blend.

curry chickpeas with chicken (8)

Turn the heat to med/high and add the seasoned chicken pieces to the pot and stir well. The idea is to deglaze the bottom of the pan to pick up all the curry goodness. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often. the chicken will spring it’s own juices.. that’s natural.

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Add the 2 cups of water to the same bowl you marinated the chicken in to pick up any remaining marinade..we need that. By this time the liquid in the pan will start burning off and you’ll start seeing the oil we started off with. Add the cubed potato (large pieces) and chickpeas (be sure to wash and drain).

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Stir well, add the water, ginger and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil and cook with the lid slightly ajar for about 25 minutes. Basically until the pieces of potato are tender and you have a nice thick gravy.

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Taste for salt and adjust if necessary (remember we only added salt when we seasoned the chicken) – that was enough for me. If by chance you find that your gravy is too thin, use the back of your cooking spoon to crush some of the chickpeas and potato and it will thicken things. Top with the chopped cilantro (or shado beni) and enjoy (with rice or roti)!

curry chickpeas with chicken (13)

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curry chickpeas with chicken (1)

Such a classic curry dish and so easy to put together. Remember in the coming weeks I’ll have something very similar, except we’ll be using some plump shrimp for a totally different flavor – you’ll be blown away with that one.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

I’ve always had a weakness for curry potato, especially if there was hot sada roti on the side to sap-up the lovely gravy. And I’ve never been known to back away for a good dose of curry shrimp... must be a bit spicy though and not overcooked. So when our mom first introduced us to this dish many moons ago, I was in my little personal Shangri-La. Curry potato with shrimp gives you the rich creaminess of tender potatoes, spiced up with the lovely aroma of the curry powder and the kick of the scotch bonnet peppers are indeed present and jumps out at you (you can certainly control the heat level). The herbal notes of the green seasoning paste used in marinating the shrimp adds another level of true Caribbean goodness which words alone can’t describe.

 

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared green seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon parsley
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon anchar massala
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: Use a small to medium sized shrimp for best results (more sweet as we say in the Caribbean). When using and handling scotch bonnet peppers it’s important to wear gloves and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after use. The seeds and area surrounding it will have the most heat, so remove and discard if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. I used a Caribbean style Madras curry powder as this is the blend I enjoy using (stuff I grew up eating), but you can use your fav curry powder. If you can’t source anchar massala, you can use about 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (geera) IMPORTANT! Be sure to read the label of the curry powder (and other ingredients) to ensure it’s fully gluten free as some curry powders have added flour as a filler.

Peel and devein your shrimp if you’ve not already done so (something you get them already cleaned in the supermarkets). In the event you’re not sure how to do so, here’s a short video showing how easy it can be.

Wash your shrimp with the juice of a lime or lemon, rinse with cool water and drain. Now add the green seasoning paste to the shrimp and give it a good stir. Allow that to marinate for about 10-15 minutes or so… try not to go too much longer as the green seasoning can start cooking the tender shrimp.

It’s now time to prep the other ingredients. Basically all you have to do is peel and chop the onion and garlic as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Then peel,wash and cube the potatoes.

Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil, then the garlic and onion. Allow this to cook (reduce your heat to min) for 3 minutes, or until it’s nice and soft and you can get that lovely scent of cooked onion and garlic. Now add the sliced scotch bonnet pepper and curry powder. With your heat still on low, allow the curry powder to toast a bit (2-3 minutes).

Now add about a 1/4 cup of water (not mentioned in the ingredients list) and scrape the stuff off the bottom of the pan. The first step we toasted the curry, this step we’re cooking the curry so we don’t get a raw aftertaste when the dish is done. Bring this to a boil and allow it to gently simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid. The curry paste will go a bit grainy and clump to the cooked onion,garlic and scotch bonnet pepper.

Add the diced potato and give it a good stir, then add the anchar massala and salt and pour in the water. Be sure to scrape off all that goodness from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce your heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato gets tender and liquid starts to thicken up (lid closed).

With the potatoes tender, it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and give it a good stir. After 1 minute, check for salt (add accordingly) and if you find the sauce or gravy is too thin, using the back of your spoon, crush a few pieces of the potato to thicken the gravy. Keep in kind that as this curry potato with shrimp cools, it will naturally thicken up. So not to overcook the shrimp… turn off the stove, top with the chopped parsley (adds a nice punch of colour) and place  the lid on the pan to allow the residual heat to fully cook the shrimp.

I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or any creamy potato for this dish as the overall texture is simply amazing. Remember if you want to control the heat you can use less scotch bonnet pepper or simply leave it out altogether. This curry potato with shrimp is excellent with rice, roti or bread and  I assure you that even your kids will love this one… if not send me their names and I’ll tell Santa they were bad this year (smile).

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.

Vegetarian

Curry eggplant with potato (curry baigan and aloo).

eggplant curryHere’s another one of the dishes my mom would prepare when we were kids which we refused to eat. Her way of getting us to eat it was to cook it without the curry and add leftover stew chicken, pork or beef near the end of the cooking process. Today when she visits I get her to make it several ways.. curry, without curry and I still love adding leftover stewed meats. My dad, the saltfish king that he is only likes this if there’s pieces of salted cod added near the end. According to him, this is the ONLY way this dish should be made.

This version is completely vegetarian, but feel free to add any leftover stewed (Caribbean style) meats you may have in your fridge. Also remember that if you’re looking for a truly unique twist to this, do as my dad would recommend and add some strips of dry salted fish. All you’ll have to do is soak the dried saltfish in hot water, then drain/rinse,  shred and add to the pot about 5 minutes at the end of cooking.

You’ll need…
1 eggplant (baigan) about 1-2 lbs –  peeled and cubed
1 small onion diced
2 cloves crushed
3 tablespoons water
3 small potatoes cubed
1 tablespoon madras curry powder
1 1/2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon green seasoning (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (habanero, scotch bonnet or chilli)

* I”ve also seen people prepare this dish without peeling the eggplant. Personally I find that the skin causes the finished dish to be over-powered with the flavour of the eggplant.

Start off by peeling and dicing the eggplant and potato into cubes (set aside in a bowl). Then peel and slice the onion, pepper and crush the garlic.

baigan and alloo

curry baigan

curry potato with eggplant recipe

eggplant recipe

Pour the oil in a fairly deep saucepan and heat on medium to high heat. When the oil is hot add the curry powder and stir for about 3 minutes, then add the onion, garlic and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for another couple minutes, then add about 3 tablespoons of water and using a spoon try to scrape the pot so the bit of cooked curry will release from the bottom of the pan. When this dries back down (see image below) start adding the cubed eggplant, potato, salt and black pepper (add the green seasoning mix at this point as well – optional). Then reduce to the lowest setting on your stove with the pot covered. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on things. It will release some natural juices which should be enough for it to cook without burning, but if you notice that it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, it means that your heat may still be a bit too high… add a few tablespoons of water and place the pot on a smaller burner where the heat will be lower.

Allow this to cook for about 25 minutes or until the potato is fully cooked and the eggplant starts to dissolve and marry with the potato. Though not the prettiest looking dish, it’s packed with flavour and quite tasty when paired with roti, fry bake or any type of flat bread you may have.

curry baigan and alloo

curry eggplant

curry eggplant recipe

baigan with potato curry

eggplant with potato recipe

potato with eggplant curry

eggplant curry

curry potato eggplant

trini baigan and alloo

I believe the word “baigan” is Indian in origin and it made it’s way to the Caribbean with the indentured workers that came to the Caribbean in the 1800’s. Do leave me your comments below.

Happy Cooking!

Meat & Poultry Vegetarian

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.

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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.