curry recipe Archives | Page 3 of 4

As you make your way across the Caribbean you’ll encounter different methods of cooking curry dishes, influenced by one’s own preference and family traditions. A prime example is my way of cooking coconut curry chicken.. as I’m about to share. My technique and ingredients will differently differ from other recipes you’ll see… even the way I’d see my mom and grandma make their version. Coincidentally I don’t recall mom using coconut in curry chicken, unless it was a tough chicken (we say yard fowl), where the use of the coconut acted as a tenderizer.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken (cut into small pieces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
4 sprigs thyme
2-3 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/3 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 cardamom pods
1 cup water
4-6 grape tomatoes (optional)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)

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.. especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filler. Also, I used dark/bone pieces of chicken, but this recipe will work just as great with chicken breast.

Season the clean chicken with everything except the oil, coconut milk, curry powder, onion, garlic, cardamom, tomato, cilantro and water. Allow it to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Heat the vegetable oil (coconut oil will be perfect too) on a medium flame then reduce to low and add the diced onion and smashed garlic. Cook for 3 minutes on low. Then add the cardamom and cook another minute or so. Next up add the curry powder (still on low) and stir well. Cook on low to cook off the raw curry taste and to bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder. It will go darker, clump and your kitchen will have a lovely scent of curry.

Now add the coconut milk, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a med/high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes. The goal is to cook off the liquid and really intensify the coconut flavor. You should end up with a thick base, with hints of the oil you started off with (plus oil from the coconut milk). Stir well as the natural sugars will want to stick/burn.

Here’s where you’ll now add the seasoned chicken and stir well. It’s ok if the marinade goes in as well. The goal here (high heat) is to coat and sear the pieces of chicken with the coconut curry base. Add the water to the same bowl you marinated the chicken in and stir to pick up any marinade left back. Cook the chicken for 7-10 minutes or until you’ve burned off any liquid it may have sprouted naturally.

In the image above you’ll notice that I added an entire scotch bonnet pepper as I like this dish very spicy.. adjust to your own liking. Also remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such spicy peppers. After the chicken is full seared/coated and you don’t have any liquid in the pot (this step was to infuse the chicken with the coconut curry flavors) it’s now time to add the water and stir well. This step is to fully cook the chicken and develop a thick gravy.

Bring to a rolling boil, cover the pot slightly ajar and cook for another 15 minutes. Then here’s where you personalize things. Taste for salt /adjust and cook until you get the desired thickness you like your gravy. For me this was perfect at this point as I knew it would thicken as it cools. Add the chopped cilantro and tomato (use shado benin/culantro if you have) and turn off the stove.

Please watch the video below to further assist in perfecting this coconut curry chicken. Some of you may question my use of ketchup and tomatoes.. both brings their own flavor and uniqueness, especially a bit of acidity in helping to balance things. BTW- tomato is very natural (and important) in cooking curry chicken when it originated.

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

Insanely Spicy Canadian Mother In Law.

May 28, 2025November 5, 20171 Comment

After getting a request for a new “Mother-In-Law” recipe via a YouTube comment , the spicy condiment we use on the side of many curry dishes in Trinidad and Tobago, I decided to do things a little different and do my interpretation of a Canadian version. I believe the name comes from the ‘spicy’ nature of one’s mother in law, mixed with different textures and flavors (complexity). Do keep in mind that you can control the amount of heat of this condiment by the number and type of hot peppers you use.

You’ll Need…

2 limes (juice)
1 lemon (juice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium red onion
2 scallions
1 pear
2 nectarines
2 sticks celery
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
2 cloves garlic
4 HOT peppers
1 green apple (granny smith)
1 red apple (your choice)

Note! Feel free to use as much spicy hot peppers as you like.. do keep in mind that this is a SPICY condiment! I used a combination of Habanero, Scotch Bonnet and another pepper (don’t recall the name at the moment) from my garden. Here’s the original Caribbean version of Mother In Law I shared a while back.

The goal here is to dice everything the same size (except the garlic and peppers which I like very fine), so it’s uniform in texture when it’s served. I diced everything, but you can certainly use a food processor or grater if you like.

Make sure you wash the fruits etc very good, since we’ll be using the skin for additional color (presentation) and texture. Remember to wear gloves when handling the hot peppers and be sure to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Additionally, don’t include the seeds and white membrane around the seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat.

I usually squeeze the lime and lemon juice in the bowl I’ll be mixing everything in, so as I dice and place it there, it will help prevent discoloration of the fruits.

Basically all you have to do is dice (grate or food processor) everything and combine together. I used a bit of celery and green apple to give it a bit more texture and slight tartness. Usually green mangoes are used to achieve this. You may also grate in a carrot and the addition of a cucumber is always refreshing.

Taste for salt after you’ve mixed it all and adjust.

If you find that you don’t have enough liquid from the juices to coat/cover everything, add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar. You may store this in a glass container (sealed) in the fridge for up to 5 days or so. Please allow this to marinate for about 2 hours before serving for best results. This time will be used to bring all those spicy (and sweet) flavors together.

Are you married? How spicy is your mother in law? Did you know there’s also a Daughter-in-Law? More to come.

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

Gluten Free Vegetarian

How To Cook Curry Pigeon Peas (from frozen).

December 2, 2017October 14, 20172 Comments

As a kid growing up on the islands you never really understand/appreciate what you have, especially when it comes to our local produce. I remember giving mom a difficult time during ‘peas season’ (usually from Dec to mid-June), as it would make it’s way on the dinner table too often for my liking. We had a kitchen garden so many of the meals prepared came directly from that small plot of land behind our home. Today I’m stuck using the stuff from the can and the occasional time I can find it in the frozen section of the supermarket. Being based in Canada, the options are slim.. rare is the time you’d get fresh pigeon peas.

You’ll Need…

2 1/2 cups pigeon peas (green / from frozen)
(water for boiling the peas)
2 tannia (potato will also work)
3 bird’s eye pepper (bird pepper or any spicy pepper you have/like)
1 small onion
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon coconut oil (veg oil works great)
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
2 tablespoon shado beni (divided – cilantro will also work)
3-4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)

Note: Shado beni is also known as Culantro. If you cannot get it, feel free to use cilantro. I believe the Tannia is aka coco yam in some parts of the Caribbean.

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, do 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.

The first step is to thaw and rinse the pigeon peas, then place them in a deep pot covered with water and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 25-30 minutes. This step will help us to remove the sort of ‘”bitter” aftertaste you can sometimes get, plus it will help make the peas a bit more tender. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Peel the tannia and cube into 1 inch pieces, if you’re using potatoes I’d recommend cutting them large as it will be cooked for an hour and 40 minutes or so. Place the peeled and cubed tannia in cool water as we get to cooking, to prevent discoloration.

Heat the coconut oil (any oil will work) in a wide pan (one with a lid) on a medium flame, then add the diced onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to as low as it will go and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the bird’s eye pepper, black pepper, 1/2 the shado beni (chopped fine) and cumin seeds. Cook another 2-3 minutes. It’s now time to add your favorite curry powder – heat still on very low. Cook the mixture for another 3-4 minutes as to cook off the raw curry taste.

Turn the heat up to medium and start adding the washed tanni, stir well to coat with the curry base. You can now add the pre-cooked pigeon peas and stir will.

Top with the water, add the salt and bring to a boil (raise the heat to high).

When it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot (slightly ajar) and cook until tender. In my case it took about an hour and 40 minutes. Add more water if necessary (during the cooking process). Taste for salt near the end and adjust accordingly… you can now crush some of the tannia with the back of your spoon, to help thicken the gravy. As you turn off the stove, top with the remaining chopped shado beni.

I love having this curry peas with hot roti, but it’s excellent with rice, ‘bakes’ and any flat bread as well. Be mindful that it will thicken up as it cools. The same sort of method can be employed if you’re using freshly picked/shelled pigeon peas to make this curry dish.

Are you following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram yet? Join in on the fun today!

Seafood

5 Tips To Cooking Perfect Curry Shrimp.

May 28, 2025June 12, 20174 Comments

I had a recent request via Instagram asking for tips on cooking curry shrimp. According to the person who contacted me, they encounter over-cooked and bland shrimp every time they give it a go in the kitchen. It got to the point where they’ve now given up on ever cooking curry shrimp again. I can assure you that if you also encounter this problem, you’re not alone. Experience also tells me that even many of the West Indian restaurants also get it wrong the majority of time.

My 5 tips for perfecting curry shrimp.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (clean + deveined)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (diced)
2 scallions
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon veg oil (see tip below)
1/2 medium tomato (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic (diced)

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and get ready to season/marinate. TIP 1. Do NOT marinate more than 10 minutes. Season with the 1/4 the curry powder, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, scallions, salt, black pepper and thyme. Mix well and marinate for no more than 10 minutes or you’ll risk it starting to cook prematurely.

Heat a non stick pan on a med/high flame and go in with the veg oil. TIP 2 .. by using a non stick pan we’ll considerably reduce the amount of veg oil we use in cooking this curry. Turn the heat down to low and go in with the diced onion, 2 minutes later go in with the diced garlic (cook for 30 seconds). With your heat still on low it’s now time to add the cumin seeds, cook for 2 minutes then add the curry powder to the pan. TIP 3. Cook the curry powder on low for about 3-5 minutes. This will cook out any raw curry taste and allow the spices which makes up the curry blend to bloom (most flavor).

Turn the heat back up to med/high and add the seasoned shrimp to the pan and mix well. Basically you want to coat each shrimp with that lovely curry base we created. TIP 4.. cook on a relatively high heat.

Do NOT cover the pan/pot! TIP 5.. if you were to cover the pan the shrimp will spring a lot of liquid which will take long to burn off. The goal is to cook the shrimp (remember we already have that flavor-packed base) very quickly so they are plump and juicy when we’re done. I usually cook the shrimp at this point for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size.

Turn off the heat, move the pan off the burner and top with the chopped cilantro. Should you want a bit of gravy with this curry shrimp you can remove the shrimp after 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk.. bring to a boil and cook for a couple minutes. When you have a desired thickness to your sauce, you can add back the shrimp and warm through. Don’t over-cook please. Adjust the salt accordingly.

Are you following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram yet? Join in on the fun today!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Pork With String Beans.

May 27, 2025January 27, 2016Leave a Comment

I may have mentioned before that while growing up on the islands mom never made any sort of curry dishes with pork, so I credit my aunt Victoria (I speak about her in my book) for passing the basics of this recipe on to me, when I lived with her during my early years in Canada. Her version included a bit more cooking (I like my beans with a slight crunch) and a little heavier on the curry, so this version of curry pork with green beans is personalized to my liking.

You’ll Need…

1 lb pork (cubed)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot (or small onion)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato (diced)
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cups water
1 1/2 lbs green beans (trimmed)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure the meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs – especially the curry powder which could contain flour as a filler.

Start but cutting the pork (use a cheap cut with a bit of marbling) into 1 inch pieces, wash (with lemon or lime juice and water – not mentioned in the ingredient list) and drain. Now season with the salt, black pepper, tomato, Caribbean green seasoning, ketchup, grated ginger and scotch bonnet pepper (don’t use any seeds nor white membrane surrounding the seeds – that’s where it’s most hot). Stir well and allow to marinate for an hour or two.

It’s now time to heat the oil in a pan (I like using a non stick pan when cooking curry so I can use less oil) on low heat, then go in with the crushed garlic and sliced shallot. Cook on low for 3 minutes, then add the curry powder and cook another 4 minutes. This will toast the spices which makes up a curry blend and allow for a wicked base of flavors.

Turn up the heat to medium/high and add the marinated pieces of pork. Yes, it’s ok if the marinade goes into the pan as well. Stir well, turn down to medium, lid closed and cook for 10 minutes. It will spring its own natural juices. Stir every 3-4 minutes.

As the pork cooks, you can trim your beans (use french beans, string beans or bodi aka yard beans if you wish).. trim off the ends (discard) and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces.

To infuse the pieces of pork with that lovely curry flavor, it’s now time to remove the lid, turn up the heat and burn off all accumulated liquid.

In the same bowl you marinated the pork, add the two cups of water to pick up any remaining marinade. Now add that water to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer/rolling boil and cook for 25 minutes (lid slightly ajar).

At this point you should add the beans of choice and stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes (as mentioned I like my beans with a bit of texture) or until the beans are tender to your liking. If you’re using bodi it may take a bit longer to cook.

You can cook off any remaining liquid, but I usually like the bit of gravy to go with my hot steamed rice or sada roti. Remember to taste for salt and adjust according as I find the salt we seasoned the pork with is enough for my liking. To add a bit of color to the dish you can add a bit of diced tomatoes after you turn off the stove – the residual heat will warm that through nicely.

Meat & Poultry

Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

April 6, 2016December 3, 20153 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Curry Tofu Recipe.

November 4, 2015October 30, 20154 Comments

I grew up with the mindset that tofu could NEVER taste appealing. My mom’s cousins were vegetarians and I would always hear them speak about using tofu and soya chunks in different ways and though we were close.. I don’t ever recall ever having tofu until my adult years. Caribbean culinary culture is not remotely centered around tofu as most Asian countries and quite understandably so. We don’t produce tofu, so why would be be interested in it. If we were to speak about sea food, fish and ground provisions, then we could definitely shine!

You’ll Need…

4-5 cups cubed tofu
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup water (or coconut milk)
2 birds eye pepper
1 tomato
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 sprigs thyme
1 cups frozen peas/carrots/corn mix
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

Optional – chopped cilantro or shado beni

* I used a medium tofu, so I placed it on a plate, covered with another plate and put a weight (large teacup with water) on it to ‘press’ some of the moisture out (about 1 hr). This will open up the pores of the tofu and allow it to really take on that rich curry flavor to enhance this overall.

Cube the tofu into 3/4 inch pieces… and prepare the other ingredients. Heat the oil on a medium flame and go in with the diced onion, crushed garlic and thyme. Turn the heat down to low and let it gently cook for 4 minutes.

With your heat still on low, add the curry powder ( I used my fav – Madras blend out of the Caribbean) and stir well – keep your heat on low. The goal here is to toast the curry and awaken all the spices which make up the blend.

It’s now time to go in with the birds eye pepper (any pepper you like or have and as much as you can handle) and chopped scallions. Cook for another minute or two before you add the cubed soya and stir well. You will notice that I used a nonstick pan as it allows me to cut back on the amount of oil I use.

Finally it’s time to go in with the star of the show – the cubed tofu. Stir well, then add all the other ingredients and (turn up the heat) bring to a boil.

This is a somewhat ‘dry’ curry – no gravy. So I turned the heat down to medium and allowed it to cook for about 6-8 minutes (uncovered). Taste for salt and adjust accordingly, remove the birds eye pepper (notice I left it whole – you can break them for HEAT) and top with some chopped shado beni (culantro) or cilantro.

I’ll be honest and say that I’m still not a fan of tofu (not even the milk), but this vegetarian curry is screaming with wonderful flavors. So I urge you to give it a try the next time you want to hit a Meatless Monday!

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Coconut Curry Oxtails In The Oven (or slow cooker).

December 4, 2015August 7, 201510 Comments

As a new immigrant to Canada, I remember the days when oxtails were just about the cheapest cut of meat you could get at the grocery store / butcher (they were practically giving the stuff away). Along with liver, gizzards, trotters, chicken feet, snouts and other parts of meats which were considered undesirable by the major part of the buying public, we reveled in the prices. In the Caribbean nothing goes to waste, so what most people refused to use, we had already perfected recipes which brought out the natural goodness of these cuts. Today, with oxtails hovering between $8 and $11 a pound, its now become something you buy for a special occasion or when you have a serious craving.. as in this case with me today!

Note: We’ll start this off on the stove top, then finish it slowly in the oven so it’s important that you use an oven-proof pot. You can use the same technique to start it as I did, then finish it in a slow cooker if you wish. You may need to adjust the cooking time (a bit longer)

You”l Need…

2-3 lbs oxtails (trimmed / washed / dry)
2 tablespoon veg oil
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped shado beni aka culantro (or cilantro)
3 scallions (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme
3 wiri wiri peppers (1/2 scotch bonnet – no seeds)
1 medium tomato (diced)
3 cups coconut milk
3/4 teaspoon salt

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 which can contain flour as a filler.

Heat the veg oil in an oven-proof pot (with lid) on low heat, then add the crushed garlic and diced onion. Cook on low for about 3-4 minutes. Then go in with your favorite curry powder (I like the Madras blends you get out of the Caribbean). Heat still on low, toast the curry powder to release the aroma of all the spices which make up the curry powder and to cook-off the sort of ‘raw’ curry taste. This will take about 3-5 minutes.

Now add the trimmed (please try to cut off as much of the fat off the oxtail) pieces of oxtails into the pot and stir. The idea is to coat the pieces with the lovely curry base we created.

Basically all you have to do next, is add all the other ingredients, turn the heat up and bring it to a boil If we bring it to a boil, it will start cooking much faster in the oven. Set your oven to 375F.

Place the lid on the pot and on the middle rack in your oven. Now here is where you get to personalize it a few ways. Depending on how old the animal was the tails came from, it will determine how long it will take to cook. On average, to get fall-off-the-bones tender (like I like) it will range between 2 and 3 hours. I lucked out and 2.5 hrs later it was just perfect. Near the end of cooking, taste for salt and adjust accordingly, as your tolerance for salt will be different than mine. And the third way to personalize this depends on how thick you want your gravy. If you find that the meat is tender but your gravy is thin.. remove the lid and crank up the heat a bit or simple place the pot back on the stove top and reduce the liquid that way.

If you want to stretch this dish a bit, you can add some potato and carrots the final hour of cooking.. but I’ll recommend starting off with a bit more curry powder and you’ll need to adjust the salt and cooking liquid (coconut milk) as well.

I finished it off with some fresh chopped herbs (parsley/ cilantro) as I took it out of the oven! Optional, so I didn’t mention it in the list of ingredients.

Tip: Since oxtails can be very fatty and the fact that we started off with veg oil, after about 2 hours of cooking you can skim-off the fat at the surface of the pot and discard (NOT down your sink). The last thing you need is additional grease in your diet. If you find that oxtails are beyond your budget, you can use Turkey necks as I did with this recipe: The Ultimate Curry Turkey Necks Recipe.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

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

May 27, 2025July 10, 201513 Comments

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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)!

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

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

February 17, 2015February 17, 20151 Comment

When you grow up in the ‘country’ areas on the islands, you’re sure to have a kitchen garden where most of the vegetables, herbs and peppers you use in in the kitchen, comes directly from. My brother and I were gardeners from a very young age (not by choice.. especially when we wanted to run football and not tend to plants). Looking back, it seems we always had some sort of beans planted in that small plot of land at the back of our home. Maybe this is where my love for beans of all types originated? In this recipe we’ll use two of my favorite ingredients, string beans and shrimp along with that curry base, this will definitely be delightful.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 teaspoon veg oil (marinating the shrimp)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
2 lbs string beans (any type of green beans)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Note: You can use bodi (yard beans), French beans or just about any green beans you enjoy! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire ingredient list to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Be mindful that most curry powder may have flour as a filler, so do read the label.

Trim the edges off the beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and wash/drain. Dice the peppers, onion and garlic. Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers you must wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Peel and devein the shrimp, then season with the green seasoning and the teaspoon of vegetable oil and set aside to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

Heat a wide pan on medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the pan and set aside as we don’t want to overcook the shrimp (they will go rubbery).

Burn off any liquid in the pan, then add the tablespoon of veg oil and go in with the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low as we don’t want to burn the garlic but get that lovely flavor out of it. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

With the heat still on low, toss in the curry powder and black pepper, stir well. In this step we’ll toast the curry to release the rich flavors of the spices which makes up the curry blend. This step will also cook-out the sort of raw curry taste.

The curry will go dark and grainy.. that’s exactly what we’re looking for. Turn the heat up to medium and add the trimmed string beans as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Mix well to get all that lovely curry goodness from the bottom of the pan. Now add the water, cover the pan and bring it up to a boil. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 12 minutes. Don’t forget to add the salt at this point as well.

At this point it’s time to go in with the previously cooked shrimp and diced bell peppers and turn up the heat to burn off any liquid at the bottom of the pot. Taste for salt (adjust accordingly) and cook longer (or less) depending on how you like your beans cooked. To stretch this dish you can also add some diced tomato near the end.

You should have plump and juicy shrimp, tender beans and that curry will bring it all together. For a more rich flavor you can use coconut milk instead of water in the cooking process. You may notice that I included some of the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper.. be mindful that will increase the heat level as most of the heat in such hot peppers are in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Conch Recipe (conch curry).

May 28, 2025November 16, 20142 Comments

This recipe takes me back to my childhood days when my brother and I would go scavenging for conch (small and large black snails) in the rivers and ravines surrounding our small village (Guaracara). So to be clear, these are not the ocean conchs that’s turned into salads, soups and stews, especially in the Bahamas. It was like a treasure hunt for us, looking between roots, rocks and other debris in the water to find these. Good Times!

Luckily I across these in the frozen section of the Asian market we shop at, so I now have the opportunity to share this curry conch recipe with you.

You’ll Need…

1 lb conch (cleaned and cut into pieces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoon veg oil
5 cloves garlic
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (adjust to your liking)
3 cups water (boiling)
2 scallions
1 tomato

Important: In the Caribbean we wash all meats and sea food with lime or lemon juice before seasoning/cooking, but in this case DO NOT do so. Instead rub with a bit of plain flour and water, drain and rinse. The acid from the lime or lemon juice will cause the conch meat to go really tough and no matter how much you cook it, it will not go tender. Also, if doing this recipe according to a gluten free diet, pay attention to the curry powder you use as some manufacturers add flour to the mix and it will not meet your gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and season the conch (cut into 1 inch pieces) with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Scotch Bonnet and a bit of grated ginger (optional – not mentioned in the ingredient list). Give it a good mix and allow it to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a deep sauce pan (one with a lid) and go in with the diced garlic and onion – turn the heat to as low as it would go and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the curry powder (heat still on low). This step we’re toasting the curry powder to release the flavors of all the spices which make up the curry powder. Cook for about 4 minutes, so you won’t get a raw curry taste when the dish is done cooking. It will go grainy, them clump and go darker and your house will have that lovely aroma of curry! Add a bit more veg oil if you find it’s starting to burn.

It’s now time to raise the heat to high and go in with the seasoned conch and stir well. Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir well and let it go for about 10 minutes. It will spring it’s own natural juices.

Now it’s time to really infuse the conch pieces with the curry, so turn up the heat to high and cook off all that natural juice which you see in the pan (lid off). It may take about 3-5 minutes. Go until you see the oil at the bottom of the pan, then go in with the boiling water and bring back to a boil. it’s important to use boiling water or again the conch will go tough.

Once it comes to a boil (we need patience now) reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, have the lid slightly ajar and let that go for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Yes it does take a while to go tender (this is VERY gamey). Remember to stir every 10 minutes or so.

After you’ve achieve the sort of tenderness you like, taste for salt, then turn up the heat to thicken the gravy. In most cases you’d find that traditionally curry conch is cooked dry (no gravy). The last 5 minutes of cooking is when you’d go in with the chopped tomato and scallions to give the dish a bit of color. You can even add a bit of chopped shado beni or cilantro if you like.

In my case I left it with a thick gravy as I was having this with steamed rice.

Looking back I can also remember mom would never want us to go unsupervised to the river and we would always get into problems with her. UNTIL we figured out how she knew when we went o the river and ravines – our legs would be dry and dirty from the muddy water. So we started taking coconut oil with us to use as lotion after playing in the river. BTW.. we never ate the conchs we’d catch and even today curry conch is not my thing.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Vegetarian Cauliflower With Chickpeas Curry Recipe.

November 17, 2014August 24, 201411 Comments

If you’re looking for a way to add a wicked punch of flavor to boring cauliflower, look no further. Along with the wonderful flavors of a good Caribbean style curry, this recipe is also vegetarian and can be done gluten free (check your curry powder to ensure there’s no gluten-flour additive in it). Based on the technique of cooking curry in Trinidad and Tobago, we’ll toast curry to build a lovely base of flavors to give this curry dish the “wicked” factor I speak about.

You’ll Need…
1 Cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)
1 can chick peas (drained \ rinsed)
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garam Massala
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tomato (seeded and diced)

Note: As mentioned above, do ensure that the curry powder and massala you’re using is indeed gluten free and please go through the list of ingredients to also verify that it meets with your gluten free diet restrictions.

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas, dice the garlic, scotch bonnet and onion. Remember to wear gloves when handling such hot peppers and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after.

Heat the oil on a medium flame then go in with the diced onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for about 3-4 minutes as we normally do when making curry dishes. With the heat still on low, add the curry powder (your fav) and Garam Massala and toast for 3-4 minutes. This will awaken the spices of which makes up the blends. It will go darker and grainy – that’s normal. Cut the cauliflower into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces (wash and drain).

Turn the heat up to med high and go in with the cauliflower and mix well, then top with the chickpeas, salt, diced scotch bonnet, Caribbean Green Seasoning and black pepper. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook through with the lid on.

Here’s where you get to personalize the dish a bit. Check for salt and adjust accordingly. I cooked this for 12 minutes, removing the lid off the pot the last 4 minutes so any liquid would burn off, but it’s up to you to cook longer or less depending on how you like the texture of your cauliflower. After turning off the heat I added the diced tomato and cilantro.. cover the pot and let the residual heat do it’s thing with the tomato and cilantro.

I do hope you give this recipe a try and not be fooled with the vegetarian and gluten free tags I associated with this recipe. It’s very tasty and a lovely way to add flavor to boring cauliflower.

curry recipe

Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe.

Insanely Spicy Canadian Mother In Law.

How To Cook Curry Pigeon Peas (from frozen).

5 Tips To Cooking Perfect Curry Shrimp.

Curry Pork With String Beans.

Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

Vegetarian Curry Tofu Recipe.

Coconut Curry Oxtails In The Oven (or slow cooker).

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

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

Curry Conch Recipe (conch curry).

Vegetarian Cauliflower With Chickpeas Curry Recipe.

Log In