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/curry recipe (Page 2)
Seafood Vegetarian

Amazing Curry Jingi (Chinese Okra).

Yet another dish I disliked as a lil fella growing up on the islands, but adore as an adult. Served with hot Sada roti and a few slices of avocado (zabouca) and some Mango Kuchela on the side and Uncle Chris is in culinary heaven.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs Jingi (Chinese Okra)
1/4 lbs salted Cod (prepared)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
6 cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
3 medium potato (1/4s)
2 cups water
2 tablespoon Coconut Cream

Notes! If you wanted to do this curry dish fully vegan, simply leave out the salted Cod at the start. I used salted cod, but you may use any dried salted fish you prefer. Watch the video below to learn how I ‘prepared” the salted fish, and while I used boned (means the bones were removed) salted Cod, I still kept an eye out for any bones (to be removed and discarded). I used cherry tomatoes (or were they grape tomatoes?) but any tomato will work.

Using a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler, remove the outer skin off the Jingi and discard, cut into 1 inch cubes and rinse with cool water. Drain and set aside. You may want to prep your other ingredients at this time as well.

Add the oil to your pot on a medium flame, then add the prepared salted cod pieces to the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. This step will flavor the oil. After which, remove and set aside.

In the same pot on a low flame (try to not remove the oil we started with – add a bit more if needed), add the garlic and stir well. 30 seconds later add the cumin seeds and cook for another minute. Then add the Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir well.

It’s now time to add your fav curry powder (heat still on low) and cook until fragrant. About 3 minutes. During this time add the black pepper.

Now turn the heat to medium and add the cubed pieces of Jingi and stir to coat with the curry base we created. Feel free to add a splash of water if you find that it’s starting to stick at the bottom of the pot.

It’s now time to add the pieces of potato and stir again. Top with the tomato, salt (see my tip in the video) and water and with the lid on, bring to a boil.

Once you have a good boil going, reduce to a simmer, add the coconut cream and cover the pot slightly ajar. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

With everything tender and falling apart, it’s time to ad back the pre-cooked salted Cod to the pot and stir well. Taste and adjust the salt and crank up the heat should you find that it’s too runny for your liking (keeping in mind that it will thicken as it cool).

Such a simple, yet wickedly tasty dish!

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Curry Chickpeas (channa) With Potato (aloo).

While I’ve shared several recipes with potato and chickpeas over the years and yes, you have seen a version of this curry recipe on here. This will be the first time we’re doing this from ‘scratch’. In the previous version we used chickpeas (channa) from the can, with excellent results, but I wanted to share the traditional way with you.

You’ll Need…

2 cups dried chickpeas (soak in 4 cups water)
6 medium potatoes (1/4’s)
12-16 cups water (adjust)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon Curry powder
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
1 medium onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic
5 bird’s eye pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil | 1 teaspoon salt.
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

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 you use, as some may contain fillers. And remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling spicy peppers.

Place the dried chickpeas in a deep bowl and cover with water (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and allow it to soak for 4-6 hours. In my case I did it overnight. Make sure there’s about 1 inch of water above the dried chickpeas when you start. This step will help to quicken the cook time. Yes you can do this recipe with the aid of a pressure cooker, but I prefer to cook low and slow, plus we’re trying to stick to the traditional way of preparing this dish.

Let’s make a sort of slurry to start things off. In a bowl place the Curry Powder along with the Anchar Masala (use 1 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin if you cannot source the Anchar Masala), the Caribbean Green Seasoning and 3/4 cup water. Give this a good mix!

Heat the olive oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, pour in the curry slurry we created and turn the heat down to low. We want to gently cook the curry to allow all the spices which makes up a good curry powder, to bloom.

Let it cook on that gentle heat for 5 minutes, then crank-up the heat to HIGH to burn off all that liquid.

As you start seeing the oil we started with, take the heat all the way back down to low. Now add the onion, garlic and pepper (in my case I used birds eye pepper, but you can add any spicy pepper and in the amounts you like). Stir to mix well. Remember, the heat is on low.

Rinse the soaked chickpeas a couple times with cool water, drain and place in the pot now.

Also add in the potatoes (yea I like them in big pieces so as they cook and start falling apart, some will still keep their shape and add texture to the dish). Stir well to coat everything in that curry niceness we created.

It’s now time to add the salt and cover everything with water, then crank up the heat to medium/high to bring it to a boil. I used between 13-15 cups of water in cooking, as I stared with 12 cups but added more as it slowly cooked. This is a BIG batch of curry, so feel free to freeze the leftovers.

As it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and place the lid of the pot on, but slightly ajar. Cook for an hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Providing the channa is soft, it’s time to adjust the salt to your own liking.

To thicken things, I used my potato masher to smash a bit of the chickpeas, but do keep in mind that as the pot cools it will thicken naturally.

Typically you’d toss in chopped shado beni (chandon beni aka culantro) or cilantro, but in my case all I had was parsley on hand.

So there you have it, channa and aloo from scratch, an iconic veg or vegetarian curry, which is guaranteed to delight your tastebuds.

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/

Meat & Poultry

Channa (chickpeas) & Aloo (potato) With Chicken.

Here’s one of my favorite dishes to make when I have leftover Stewed Chicken and plan to make hot Sada Roti. While it does take a little work to remove the sort of skin off the Channa (Chickpeas), I highly suggest you do as the end result is simply delicious.

You’ll Need…

2 cans chickpeas (540 ml each)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
left over stewed chicken

1 tablespoon Caribbean Green seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon roasted cumin (ground geera)
1/2 cup water (for curry slurry)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4)
4-6 cups water
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
3 chili peppers (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Note! Be mindful to read the label of the curry powder and chick peas you use, to make sure they are gluten free. If rocking this dish for a gluten free diet. Also note that you should wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water when working with spicy peppers, like the Scotch Bonnet.

Drain and rinse the chick peas from the can (watch the video below for my tip). Then place them into a bowl covered with water and using your hands/finger, give them a rub to remove the outer skin (see the video below). Yes, you don’t have to do this step. However in my humble opinion.. it’s well worth the effort.

Place the curry powder in a small bowl, add Geera (cumin), the Caribbean Green Seasoning, garlic, onion, black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Stir to create a thick slurry.

With your large pot on a med/high flame, add the oil of your choice (I use olive oil when cooking) and then pour the curry slurry into the pot. Stir well. Add a tablespoon of water in the same bowl where you had the slurry.. to rinse off any remaining curry and pour it into the pot as well.

Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. This will help bloom the spices which makes up a good curry powder. After-which, turn up the heat to burn off all that liquid in the pot. The goal is to see the oil we started with at the bottom of the pot. This step will help to develop that rich curry flavor. It may take 3-5 minutes.

Add the Scotch Bonnet pepper, stir.. then add the chick peas (channa) to the pot and stir well to coat the peas with the curry base and use the remaining liquid from the rinsed chickpeas to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes as well.

With the heat still on high, add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to a rolling boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender and start falling apart. Toss in the Chili peppers (whole) should you decide you want to use them. And here’s where you can add the salt to the pot.

Here’s where you can adjust the salt to your liking and keep this dish fully vegan. However we’re not! We’re adding the leftover stewed chicken to the pot at this point.

Heat through for about 4-5 minutes and you’re basically done. Couple things to keep in mind. Add more water when cooking if you find that it’s too thick. Should it be too runny at the end (knowing it will thicken as it cools), use your spoon to press down and crush some pieces of the potato and the chicken peas. Adjust the salt to your liking.

Top with Chadon Beni or cliantro and BOOM.. You’re Done!

The combination of the spicy curry with the deep flavors of the stewed chicken, added to the pillowy / silky texture of the chickpeas and potato – this dish just scream #comfortfood 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 Seafood

Curry Crayfish With Potato.

While I didn’t grow up eating this dish on the islands (simply because I don’t ever recall mom having access to crayfish), it’s quite common to see me make it when I visit the Asian supermarkets and they have crayfish (frozen) in stock. The trick is to not over-cook the the crayfish, while using it a base for flavoring the entire curry.

You’ll Need…

1 lb crayfish (crawfish)
1 med onion (sliced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed/crushed)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder (divided)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
4 -5 cups water
1 small habanero pepper (optional)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
2-3 tablespoon coconut oil
5 medium potatoes (1-2 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon roasted Geera (cumin)
1 tablespoon Cilantro (chopped fine)

Note: 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 you use, as some may have flour as a filler/thickener.

Wash the crayfish with 1/2 lemon or 1/2 lime (juice) and cool water. Drain and squeeze dry (especially if the crayfish was previously frozen as in my case).

Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 of the black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon curry powder and 1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning. Mix well and marinate for 10-115 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoon of coconut oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. Add the seasoned crayfish, stir well, then crank up the heat to high. Cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes, then remove the crayfish and set aside. I used a slotted spoon.

Turn the heat down to medium now (same saucepan), add the onion, garlic, remaining black pepper, habanero pepper (remove the seeds ad white membrane around the seeds to tame the heat a bit if you want) and the remaining Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Once the liquid is burnt off and you can see the oil we started off with (add more coconut oil here if you wish), add the remaining curry powder and stir well.

Turn the heat to low so we don’t burn the curry. After 2-3 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water along with the roasted cumin (geera). Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid burns off. This is your curry base.

Now add the potato and stir to coat the pieces of potato with the curry, then add 4 cups of water and remaining salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, lid on (slightly ajar) and cook for 20 minutes and the potato is falling-apart tender.

Once the potato is tender, you can crank up the heat and crush a few pieces of potato to thicken the gravy. Now add the pre-cooked crayfish to the pot. Do keep in mind that this dish is meant to have a sauce or gravy and that it will thicken considerably as it cools down.

Cook for a minute or two, add the cilantro and taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Enjoy!

Be sure to watch the video below if any of the steps seem confusing and be sure to serve this with your fav rice dish, sada roti or my fave.. buss-up-shut 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/

Oh Yeh.. shrimp can be used a as a replacement for the crayfish.

Meat & Poultry

Incredible Curry Chicken Breast.

Dry, Bland and “Like Rubber“! A few words the average Caribbean person will use to describe curry (curried) chicken breast (white meat). And while there’s some truth to this, I’m here today to change that forever.. with a few simple steps.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken breast (no skin nor bones)
1 teaspoon salt (adjust)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 medium onion (diced)
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3 cups water
2 medium tomatoes (diced)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 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 you use, as some may have flour as a filler. I find using a heavy pan (like cast iron) gives you better results. I also like cooking this dish outdoors (the strong scent indoors can last a long time).

Heat the oil on a medium flame. Then add the onion and garlic, turn the heat down to low and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the Caribbean green seasoning and stir well. Typically you’d season the chicken with the Caribbean Green seasoning, but we’re doing things differently. After 3 minutes after adding the Green Seasoning, add the curry powder and stir well.

The curry will go darker as we cook it (heat still on low). After 4 minutes add the diced tomato, this will help give you a thick gravy at the end, PLUS the acidity will help balance the overall flavor of the curry. Stir well, then add the water.

Turn the heat to medium to bring it to a boil. As you start seeing little bullbles, add the black pepper, salt, anchar masala and geera.

Turn the heat down to med/low and simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Toss in the peppers (whole). Feel free to make it spicy by using a more SPICY pepper.

The liquid will reduce by about a third, add the pieces of chicken breast (2 inch pieces) and stir well to coat with the curry sauce.

Cook for 7-10 minutes as we don’t want to make the chicken dry. Turn off the heat, toss in the cilantro to finish things off. Or if you have fresh Shado Beni (culantro), use that instead of the cilantro.

Remember to taste for salt and adjust to your liking. Note! If you break the peppers it will make the dish spicy.

Now you know! Dry and bland curry chicken breast are a thing of the past. The trick is to create a delicious curry gravy and to add the chicken breast near the end, so you never over-cook it. 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/

Seafood

Stewed Cabbage With Shrimp.

“Hey I know you, you’re the guy from YouTube! My boyfriend sent me the video you did with Shrimp and Cabbage a few days ago.. excellent recipe” Met a young lady the other day at the Caribbean Grocers in Mississauga and she was excited to tell me that she enjoys my recipe videos. Always nice to meet people who test-drive my recipes with success. Gone are the days when cabbage is supposed to be bland and give you gas… this is guaranteed to be a HIT in your home.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp (cleaned + deveined)
3/4 tablespoon salt (divided)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1/2 lime or lemon for washing the shrimp
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon water
1/2 medium Cabbage (shredded)
8 grape tomatoes (optional)
1 Wiri Wiri pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate puree
1/2 cup scallion tops (green part)

  • if doing this recipe gluten free please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific #glutenfree dietary requirements.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp with cool water and the lemon juice. Drain and marinate with 1/3 of the salt, 1/2 the black pepper, curry powder, Caribbean Green Seasoning and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and give it a good mix. Set aside.

Heat a pot on a medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp to the (dry) pot and stir. Quickly cook the shrimp for 2 minutes, then remove and set aside. Do NOT overcook the shrimp. Doing it this way will prevent that, plus give us that shrimp flavor to start with.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot (still on medium heat) and add the onion, remaining black pepper, garlic and wiri wiri pepper (cut to release the heat) . Turn the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.

Then move things from the center of the pot and add the tomato paste and stir well. We want that paste to get in contact with the hot pot to help it caramelize and go sweet. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the grated ginger and stir well.

Now turn the heat back up to medium and add the shredded cabbage. Should you prefer the cabbage more chunky – rock chunky. Stir as you add. Then add the remaining salt.

In the same bowl you marinated the shrimp, swish around the water and add it to the pot to help create a bit of steam. Here is where I added the tomatoes (optional as I was clearing out the fridge).

Seven minutes later the cabbage was the texture I like cabbage (slight crunch, cook more if you want), now is where we add back the shrimp we cooked earlier (including any juices) and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and you’re done. I’d recommend tasting for salt and adjust accordingly as I’m trying to cut back on my sodium intake and the recipe may reflect this.

Top with the scallions and get ready to enjoy a stunning cabbage dish with rice, roti or on sandwiches.

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/

Seafood

Curry Lobster With Shrimp.

Seafood and Curry lovers, I got YOU! The delicious combination of wild caught shrimp and lobster claws in a CLASSIC Caribbean curry sauce… no need for coconut milk, but rock it if you feel the need. This is one of my all-time favorite way to use curry with seafood and I can guarantee it will be yours too!

You’ll Need…

1 lbs lobster claws (pre-cooked)
1 lb shrimp (shell on, deveined)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dehydrated pimento peppers flakes (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon dehydrated Shado Beni (optional or use fresh if you have)
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped fine)

Important! I used previously cooked lobster claws (on sale) in this recipe, so they only had to be reheated (after being thawed) in the curry sauce. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you decide on using. Anchar Masala can be found at your local West Indian supermarket or if you cannot source it, feel free to use roasted cumin (geera). I used dehydrated Shado Beni and Pimento Peppers (aka seasoning peppers), feel free to use cilantro (fresh) if you can’t source the Shado Beni. Fresh pimento is best IMHO, but it’s what I had on hand. However, feel free to leave it out if you cannot source it.

Thaw the Lobster claws and give them a quick rinse under cool water. I was able to get wild caught shrimp which were deveined, but had the shell on. That shell will give you great flavor. Wash with cool water and lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Drain!

In a saucepan on medium flame, add the oil, onion and garlic. Turn the heat to low.

3 minutes later add the Scotch Bonnet pepper (as much as you can handle) and remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Habanero peppers work great in this dish as well, but you can also use your fav spicy pepper.

One minute after adding the scotch bonnet pepper, we’ll add the curry powder and move it around the pan. It will go grainy and darker. The low heat will allow us to waken up the spices which makes up the curry powder.

4 minutes later add the black pepper and turn the heat to med/high and in goes the water. Bring to a boil

Add salt, shado beni and pimento pepper, followed by the Caribbean Green Season and stir well. Then in goes the diced tomato. This tomato will help us get a thick gravy and the acid will balance the overall flavor of the dish. Reduce to a simmer.

For more flavor, add the anchar masla and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and mix well.

3 minutes later, it’s time to add the lobster claws, mix well and bring to a boil (heat at medium).

2-3 minutes later it’s done, but we have to personalize things. Make sure the salt it to your liking (adjust) and the gravy to the consistency you like. Toss in the parsley, stir and you’re done!

Cooking the shrimp in it’s shell will not only add additional flavor as I mentioned above, it will also help prevent us from over-cooking the shrimp.

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

The Ultimate Masala (curry) Chicken.

If you’re looking for a Caribbean style Curry Chicken with rich flavors of spices, deep hints of herbs and a gravy that could compete with the best sauces at the gravy Olympics (if such a thing existed), you’ve found such a recipe. Did I mention that it’s a quick dish to whip up? Masala Chicken is the dignified older brother of the basic curry chicken. Follow along and all will be revealed.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs chicken (bones, fat and skin removed)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
3 tablespoon olive oil
8-12 cloves garlic (divided)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 shallot (diced)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground roast geera (cumin)
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
2 tablespoon chopped parsley (cilantro or shado beni will be better)

3/4 cup water to cook off the curry

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 you use, as some may contain flour as a filler. Remember to use as much scotch bonnet as you can handle and don’t include any seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds (unless you like the raw heat). Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

I used boneless chicken thighs which were cut into 1.5 – 2 inch pieces. Season with the Caribbean Green seasoning, salt, black pepper, ketchup and tomato. Allow to marinate for about an hour. The acidity of the ketchup and tomato will help to balance the overall flavors of the dish. Plus help in getting a thick sauce or gravy at the end.

During the warm months in Canada I try cook outdoors as much as I can, as being cooped-up during the winter months can be taxing on your mind and well-being. Today you’ll see me cook on my outdoor stove on HIGH heat! Feel free to use your indoor stove.

Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot (I used a classic Caribbean dutchie) on high heat and immediately go in with 1/2 the garlic, onion and shallots. Cook for 25-35 seconds then add the curry powder of your choice. Cook for a minute or 2, then add the water and stir well. The first step was to bloom the spices which made up the curry powder, this step will cook off the rawness of the curry.

Add the Geera and Anchar Masala at this point, so they also get to cook and be part of this rich masala./curry base.

The slurry will now cook down and you’ll see the oil you started off with. Time to now add the seasoned chicken and stir well to coat and degalze the bottom of the pot. All this time my heat is on high. But be mindful that you can burn things easily – so you can go with medium-high if you’re overly concerned.

The chicken will sprout it’s own natural juices. Cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes, so you develop those rich flavors we spoke about, cook the chicken through and achieve a lovely gravy in the process. If you find you’re running out of liquid, you can add a bit of water. At this point is where you’ll add the remaining garlic as well.

I didn’t cover my pot in case you’re wondering. As I turned off the heat I went in with the finely chopped parsley. Here is where you can taste for salt and adjust accordingly and cook the gravy to the consistency you want.

This Masala Chicken will be something requested by your family and friends on the regular – be prepared! Since we used small boneless pieces of chicken the cook time is quick and by using the thighs (dark meat) you’ll find that it assists in the overall flavor of the finished dish.

Seafood

Coconut Curry Crayfish With Cassava Dumplings.

This sort of dish is typically done with fresh ocean or mangrove crabs in the Caribbean. However, the few times I can get crayfish (or is it crawfish?) locally here in Hamilton, Ontario – I jump at the chance to put them to use. This recipe is based on the classic Curry Crab and Dumplings that Tobago is known for.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs crayfish
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Lemon or lime for washing
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tomato (diced)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (diced)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 large onion (diced)
2 pimento peppers (optional)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoon Curry powder (your fav)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)

Dumplings…

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup cassava flour
3/4- 1 cup water (for the dough)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wash the crayfish with the juice of a lime or lemon and cool water. Watch the video below if you want to learn how to devein a crayfish (as we do with shrimp). Then season with the black pepper, Caribbean Green seasoning, tomato, scallion, scotch bonnet pepper and salt.

I then went ahead and made a soft dough from the ingredients listed above for the dumplings. Adjust the water if needs be, to achieve a firm but soft dough . Cover with a damp paper towel as we cook the crayfish.

FYI I cooked this dish last summer while the temperature outside allowed me to use a traditional coal pot (cooked over a live fire from wood and/or coals). Watch the video below to see what I mean, if you’re not familiar with a traditional coalpot. However you may use the same instructions here, to cook this dish indoors or on a propane bbq outdoors.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil, then add the garlic, onion and pimento peppers (aka seasoning pepper) to the pot and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Then with the heat still on low, add your fav curry powder and cook off the rawness of the curry. It can take between 3-5 minutes. This will also allow the spices which makes up the curry blend to bloom and release their wonderful flavors. Don’t burn the curry please! Stir as it cooks on the LOW heat. As you can imagine, it was difficult to maintain the low heat on the coal-pot as there’s no knob to turn high or low (smile).

With that lovely curry aroma in the air, it’s time to crank up the heat to med-high and add the seasoned crayfish to the pot. Stir well to coat it all with that curry base.

After about 4-5 minutes, add the coconut milk and water to the pot and bring it up to a boil. During this time we can make the spinner dumplings. Basically the shape of small cigars or a fat cigarette. Pinch off some dough and roll it between your hands to form – watch the video below. Then add them to the pot. You may need to push the crayfish to the side for the dumplings to settle in.

After about 6 minutes, taste the gravy for salt and adjust to your liking. The flour will help to thicken the gravy and to the residual heat form the pot will also thicken things up – be mindful of that. Add more water or coconut milk if you wish. As you move the pot off the heat, top with the parsley (cilantro or shado beni is much better – but I had none)

A CLASSIC one pot curry seafood dish which is guaranteed to make you a superstar to anyone you serve this to. If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry Rice & One-Pot Dishes

Ultimate SlowCooker (CrockPot) Curry Goat Recipe.

slow cooked curry goat (11)

With such a busy lifestyle we tend to live today, it’s always nice to have a comforting home-cooked meal waiting for us when we get home. With that in mind I decided to start exploring ways to tailor some of our classic Caribbean dishes for being prepared in a slow cooker (or crock pot). With this slow cooker Curry Goat, you’ll get that lovely Caribbean ‘curry’ with fall-of-the-bones tenderness mommy raised us on. I highly encourage you to give this method of cooking curry goat a try.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs goat
4 large potato (cut in 1/4s)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (cut or leave whole to control the heat)
2 tablespoons Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 large onion (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3-5 thin slices ginger
8 pimento berries (aka allspice berries)
1 large tomato (diced)
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon 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 requirements. Especially the Curry Powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filer.

I used goat meat with the bones as I find the flavor of the finished dish is much better when bones are used as compared to using boneless goat. This recipe will work great with lamb as well. Please get your butcher to cut the goat for you as the bones are VERY tough and will do damage to your kitchen knives. Wash and dry the goat and get ready to start. BTW, remove any big pieces of fat and discard.

slow cooked curry goat (1)

Basically you’re adding all the ingredients to the goat (in the slow cooker) and give it all a good mix. I used potato in this curry goat as it’s a great way to stretch the dish for more people. Cut the potato into 1/4’s as they will want to fall apart during the lengthy cooking process.

slow cooked curry goat (2)

slow cooked curry goat (3)

slow cooked curry goat (4)

slow cooked curry goat (5)

The curry powder I used was my own blend, but I highly recommend Caribbean curry powders, especially the Madras-like blends. Or use your fav! I did slice the scotch bonnet pepper as I love my curry goat with a little ‘kick’. If you wanted you could add the scotch bonnet pepper whole, but try not to break it while cooking/stirring or you’ll release the beast (heat).

slow cooked curry goat (6)

slow cooked curry goat (7)

Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handing such hot peppers like Scotch Bonnets. The tomato may seem out of place (for some people) but I assure you that it will add an acidic balance to the richness of the curry. There’s no need to allow this to marinate if you’re in a rush as it will cook slowly for 5 hrs and infuse the goat with that classic curry flavor.

slow cooked curry goat (8)

slow cooked curry goat (9)

With 20 minutes to go I opened the slow cooker and did a few things (cooked for 5 hrs as mentioned above). Tasted for salt and adjusted. But before that, you’ll notice a ton of fat at the surface (goat is very fatty), try your best to skim that off and discard (you can use a paper towel to skim that off easily). Do not pour this down your sink or it will clog your plumbing. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper if you had it in there whole. If the gravy is a bit runny you can cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes, but do bear in mind you can always crush a couple pieces of the potato to thicken things up.. also it will thicken naturally as the curry goat cools. Top with some finely chopped Cilantro (about 1 tablespoon – not mentioned in the ingredient list) and enjoy.

slow cooked curry goat (10)

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

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

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

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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.

curry chicken with bodi (1)

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.

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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.

curry chicken with bodi (4)

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.

curry chicken with bodi (5)

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.

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curry chicken with bodi (7)

curry chicken with bodi (8)

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.

curry chicken with bodi (9)

curry chicken with bodi (10)

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.

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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.

curry chicken with bodi (12)

curry chicken with bodi (14)

 

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 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.

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (4)

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.

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (5)

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.

Curry Chickpeas with Potato (6)

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