curry Archives | Page 7 of 8 | CaribbeanPot.com

Mom never swayed from the ‘traditional’ way of cooking curry chicken (as done in the Caribbean) when she would sort us out with a good curry and dhalpuri roti on the occasional Sunday morning. While nothing can compare to such a classic method of cooking curry chicken, I’m always looking for ways to change things up a bit. In this recipe we’ll marinate the chicken in a rich yogurt curry marinade, before roasting it in the oven.

You’ll Need…

1 medium Chicken (cut into 1/4)
1 cup yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
2 scallions
4 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
2 birds eye pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Give all the necessary ingredients a fine chop, them mix everything into a marinade. Pour it over the chicken pieces, massage and put in the fridge covered with plastic wrap to marinate for at least 2 hours. If your chicken pieces are large/thick I would recommend giving each piece a cut to allow the marinade to really penetrate and to help in the roasting process later on. Remember to trim off any excess skin and fat and discard. I included the seeds from the bird’s eye pepper (use any hot pepper you like) for that extra kick. Remove if you’re concerned about the raw heat.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.. as it comes up to temperate remove the chicken out of the fridge. Place it on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper to make it easy to clean up later when it’s done roasting. BTW, the marinade may stain your fingers, so if you’re concerned about this use tongs or wear gloves when you season the chicken with the marinade.

Roast on the middle rack for about 50 minutes, uncovered.

During the summer months you can grill the chicken for another level of flavor.. but I would recommend grilling on an indirect heat, so you don’t risk flare-ups and burned pieces of chicken (and overly DRY chicken). As mentioned, this is not your typical curry chicken, however the yogurt based marinade will help tenderize the chicken pieces and you’ll find that the chicken breast will be moist and juicy.

Do leave comments below and remember to share your pictures on Instagram and Twitter with the #CaribbeaPot to be featured.

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.

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

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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Curry Oxtail Recipe.

November 11, 2014August 8, 201440 Comments

Looks interesting, but I’ve never heard of ‘Curry Oxtails’… a comment left after I posted a pic of this “Ultimate Curry Oxtails” on the facebook fan page earlier today. With the natural toughness and sort of gamy finish of oxtails, it would be a natural fit for cooking in a rich curry sauce. The bones will release a ton of flavor as we’ve proven when we did curry goat in previous recipes.

The goal here will be to create the perfect curry sauce to slowly braise the pieces of oxtails in, until the meat is falling off the bones with delicious goodness.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs oxtails cut and trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tomato (diced)
1 onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (diced fine or crushed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
4 allspice (pimento) berries
4 sprigs thyme
5 cups water
2 tablespoon chopped shado beni (or cilantro)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup diced celery
thick slice of ginger – optional

Trim off as much fat as you can off the oxtail pieces, wash and drain. Then season with salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, tomato and ketchup. Mix well and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Heat the oil in a heavy/deep pot on medium heat, then add the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Now add the curry powder (heat still on low) and toast for another 3-4 minutes. This step will awaken the spices which makes up the curry blend.

Add a bit more oil if it’s overly dry. The curry will go darker and grainy – that’s natural. Raise the heat to high and go in with the seasoned oxtail pieces. Stir well to coat with that lovely curry goodness we created. The wet pieces of meat will deglaze the pot.

Meanwhile in the same bowl you marinated the oxtail, add the water and move around to pick up any remaining marinade (set aside). Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. It will release natural juices.. as it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let it go for about 10-15 minutes. Remember to stir. Then remove the lid, turn up the heat and burn off all that natural liquid. We’re infusing the oxtails with that rich curry sauce.

When you start seeing the oil we started with at the bottom of the pan it’s time to go in with the water, thyme, WHOLE scotch bonnet pepper, diced celery and all spice berries. Bring this to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover the pot. Lets that slowly braise for a couple hours, until tender. This is where you would add it to a pressure cooker (less water though) or slow cooker if you choose to go that route.

Since we started with oil and knowing that oxtails can be VERY fatty, halfway through cooking you’ll need to use a large spoon and skim off some of the fat you’ll see at the surface. No matter how you trim the oxtail pieces, you will get fat. PLEASE remove that.. lets try to do things a little healthy.

After 2.5 to 3 hours (depends on how tough the oxtails you got are), it’s time to remove the lid, bring up the temperature and burn off the liquid until you have a nice thick gravy. Remember to NOT break the scotch bonnet pepper unless you want that raw Caribbean heat. Taste for salt and after you’ve got tender pieces of oxtails in that wicked curry sauce, it’s time to shut the stove off and top with the chopped shado beni (culantro). If you cannot source shado beni, feel free to use cilantro.

Do remember to remove the sprigs of thyme and scotch bonnet before serving and be mindful that the allspice (aka pimento in Jamaica) berries will be in the gravy. This is indeed the ultimate curry oxtail recipe – I assure you. IMPORTANT! If doing this the gluten free way do pay attention to the ingredient list above, especially the ‘curry powder’ as some brands of curry tend to add flour as a filler to their curry blend and will not conform to your gluten free dietary needs.

Meat & Poultry

The Simplest Oven Curry Goat Recipe.

May 28, 2025April 5, 201427 Comments

If you’re looking for a quick and tasty way to prepare curry goat with a Caribbean signature, look no further. I remember my aunt starting her curry goat on the stove top, then the last couple hours she would place it in the oven to slowly do it’s thing in the oven. Falling off the bone tender and infused with from the slow braising process of cooking the curry in the oven… pour over some steamed rice and boy I tell you. Pure niceness!

In this version we’ll marinate the goat pieces in a classic Caribbean marinade for a few hours, then everything goes into an oven-proof container in the oven for the magic to happen.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs goat *
4 med potatoes (1/4’s)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 slices ginger
1 seasoning pepper (pimento pepper)
1 medium onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 scallion (chopped)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
4 bird’s eye pepper (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
1/4 teaspoon allspice

* I like using goat meat with bones as I find there’s more flavor, especially when doing a curry and it’s much cheaper at the butcher than boneless. Just make sure to ask the butcher to cut it for you with their electric saw. Curry traditionalists will argue that you need to cook (fry the curry) so you don’t get that raw curry taste. But the 3 hours of braising will take care of that in a delicious way.

Wash, rinse and drain the goat meat, then season with everything mentioned above except the coconut milk, water, bird’s eye pepper and potatoes. Click “Caribbean Green Seasoning” for the recipe for this wonderful base to many Caribbean dishes. Allow this seasoned goat meat to marinate in the fridge (cover with plastic wrap) for at least a couple hrs (overnight is best).

Preheat your oven at 375 F. As it comes to temperature, place the seasoned goat in an oven-proof container with a lid and add the other ingredients. Do not break the bird’s eye peppers as we want the flavor without the raw heat. Place on the middle rack in the oven (covered) and let it slowly braise for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Remember to cut the potatoes in big pieces so they won’t melt away while cooking. After 2.5 hrs, taste for salt and here’s where you can remove the bird’s eye peppers or break them if you want some wicked heat. If you find that the gravy is overly thin, you can leave it uncovered the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Top with some chopped shado beni (culantro), cilantro or parsley and some diced tomato to give it some added color.. after taking it out of the oven.

Here’s one of those classic Caribbean curry dishes where you can actually place it in the oven and go about doing other things at home and have a wicked main course for dinner. I’m sure you can do the same in a slow cooker as well, but you may just need to add more time to get it fully tender and infused with that wonderful curry goodness. If you want to make this dish stretch you can add more potatoes, carrots and diced celery (a bit more cooking liquid and salt will be required as well).

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!

Gluten Free Seafood

Coconut Curry Mussels Done The Caribbean Way.

November 24, 2014March 18, 20144 Comments

Very much like the ‘Curry Lobster” recipe I shared a while back, Mussels is not something you’ll find normally being prepared in the Caribbean, unless it’s at one of the many high end restaurants we have catering to a mainly tourist clientele. This curry mussels recipe is basically my take on a shellfish which is readily available in Canada.. where we presently call home. I’m sure you’ve heard of PEI mussels!

You’ll Need

2 lbs mussels
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon curry powder (use gluten free)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Shallot (minced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 large tomato diced
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 scallion
1 cup beer – optional
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil

Note: I like using a good Caribbean lager beer… like Carib! But you can use any beer you enjoy. I used my fav madras curry blend out of the Caribbean, but you can certainly use whichever curry you enjoy. If doing this recipe gluten free, do ensure that the curry powder has no flour filler to meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Mussel Tip! Their shells should be tightly closed when you buy them, or they should close when you tap them. They will open their shells to try and cool themselves off as they cook, so no open shells at the end of cooking means they were dead to start, and probably not safe to eat.

See the tip above for selecting your mussels. Wash under cool water, remove any debris or strings attached to the mussels and get ready to cook. Dice the tomato, scallion, garlic and shallot. Remember to wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet peppers, wash your hands immediately after with soap and water and don’t include any of the seeds of the pepper.

In a wide saucepan heat the oil on a medium flame, then add the shallot and garlic. As we’ve done in other curry recipes, turn the heat down to low to help gently cook the garlic and shallot for that exciting base of flavor.

After about 3-4 minutes, go in with the curry powder (low heat still) and cook for another 3 minutes. This will toast the curry to really bring out the flavors of the spices which make up the curry blend. Then add the diced scallion, turn up the heat to high and go in with the mussels.

Top with the finely diced scotch bonnet pepper, coconut milk, salt, tomato, black pepper and beer (stir well). Bring to a quick boil and cook for about 4-5 minutes (until the mussels open).

I like to finish this off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list as it’s a personal choice) and top with the chopped cilantro. The sauce will be thin compared to other curry dishes we’ve prepared before, so don’t think it’s soupy and a mistake. Get some good bread and tuck in for real flavor.

The sauce will be thin compared to other curry dishes we’ve prepared before, so don’t think it’s soupy and a mistake. Get some good bread and tuck in for real flavor.

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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

The Ultimate Curry Turkey Necks Recipe.

May 27, 2025February 23, 201412 Comments

One thing you’ll quickly notice about the cuisine of the Caribbean is that we ‘doh waste”. This usually means that things like necks, backs, feet.. even pigs ears, trotters and snouts are used to perfection in many of the dishes throughout the region. We never had turkey necks (or turkey as a matter of fact) when we were growing up, as it wasn’t a common poultry on the islands back in those days. How times have changed!

The bony texture of the turkey necks allows for a delicious curry and if you’re not squeamish, it will be one of the best curry dishes you ever enjoy. If you’re daring kick up the heat level as I find that a spicy curry takes on a whole new dimension.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs turkey necks

Marinade…

1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder (for marinating the turkey)
2 scallions (green onions)
1 tomato (diced)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (or to your liking)
1 teaspoon ketchup

Cooking…

2 tablespoon veg oil
1 onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cups water
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro – garnish at the end.

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, do ensure that the curry powder has no flour filler to meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, drain and marinate the turkey necks with the ingredients mentioned in the marinade list above. Overnight in the fridge will be best, but if you’re in a rush try to get about 2 hours.

Heat the oil on a medium flame then add the garlic and onion… reduce the heat to low and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Just to soften up and helps with a lovely flavor base. Then toss in the curry powder (heat still on low) and cook for another 2-4 minutes. This will toast the spices in the curry powder and help them bloom… plus it will cook the curry so you don’t get a raw curry taste at the end.

The curry will go darker in color and take on a grainy texture… then start clumping together. Turn up the heat to high and start adding the seasoned turkey necks to the pot. It’s ok if the marinade gets it there and try to deglaze the pot so we get all that lovely curry goodness from the bottom of the pot. After the necks take on a bit of color (about 2-3 minutes) reduce the heat to low, place the lid on the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. It will spring it’s own natural juices.

Then remove the lid, turn up the heat and grate in the ginger. This step is to do two things, burn off all the liquid and in the process give the dish a rich color and infuse it with massive curry flavor (stir). Pour the 3 cups of water into the same container you had the necks marinating in and swish it around to pick up any remaining marinade.

With all the liquid in the pot burnt off, add in the water and bring to a boil.

You’ll need some patience now.. turn the heat down to low and let it simmer (braise) for about 2 hours. The idea is to have very tender turkey necks when it’s all done.

* If you’d like you can certainly use a pressure cooker to cut back the cooking time for this dish by at least 1.5 hrs or if you want low and slow, a slow cooker will work as well. The first few steps must be done first though (cook curry powder, add seasoned turkey and then burn off initial liquid.. this will give you that rich curry flavor we expect from a good curry).

After a couple hrs you can now test for salt and adjust accordingly, if the gravy is thin you can turn up the heat and thicken it a bit more (or burn off all if you want a more infused curry) and top with some chopped cilantro or culantro (shado beni).

Treat this curry turkey necks as you would any curry meat dish.. goes well with rice, roti, ground provisions, flour dumplings and even bread! 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.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Quick And Tasty Curry Chicken Livers.

May 27, 2025February 8, 20149 Comments

A coworker had invited me out for lunch many moons ago saying that the restaurant in the mall where we worked had the best liver with onions on special every Thursday… I still recall his enthusiasm when he spoke about how delicious they were. I also recall other coworkers having a sort of disgusting look on their faces as they heard him describe this liver with onions. No-Lie it was the most revolting thing I had ever tasted. Still a bit bloody and that metallic taste stuck with me the rest of the day. No wonder parents in North America struggle to get their children to eat chicken liver. It’s the way YOU cook it!

If you’ve tried my other chicken liver recipe : Caribbean Inspired Stewed Livers , you’ll know it’s all about flavor so don’t be alarmed when I get all the liver haters loving livers.

You’ll Need…

1 lb Chicken Livers
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bell pepper
2 scallions (green onions)
1 shallot (or small onion)
4 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
4 bird’s eye pepper (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
3 leaves shado beni (or cilantro)

1 tablespoon curry powder

Note: Shado Beni (Chadon beni) can be found at most West Indian stores as well as Asian and Latino markets where it may be called culantro. The best substitute is cilantro or coriander. IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, do ensure that the curry powder has no flour filler to meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Prepare the ingredients (slice the shallot, bell pepper and scallion, then diced the garlic and shado beni). Please leave the bird’s eye pepper whole as we want the flavor but not the raw heat. Obviously if you want the kick, dice them. Bearing in mind that the seeds will pack a real kick if you include them. Clean, chop the liver in equal sized pieces (so they cook evenly) and wash/ drain.

Heat the oil on a medium heat then add the shallots and garlic, lower the heat and let it cook slowly for a couple minutes. Now add the curry powder and cook (still on low) for another 2-3 minutes. The curry will go a bit darker and grainy. The goal here is to wake-up the spices which make up the curry blend.

Toss in the whole peppers (stems removed) and heat through, then add the pieces of liver to the pot and stir well to coat with that lovely curry base we created. Turn the heat up to medium/high now. Then top with everything else except the shado beni, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes.

It’s important to not cover the pot or it will release a ton of moisture and then it will mean cooking longer than necessary to burn off that liquid. The last minute of cooking, top with the finely chopped shado beni or cilantro. Taste for salt as your tolerance for salt will be different than mine.

Now here’s the kicker (after my gallivanting above about how YOU cook livers).. our girls refuse to eat liver, even with this delicious version. Liver has a bad reputation, falsely spread by people who (in most cases) have never given them a try. Yes the texture is a bit weird, but once cooked correctly, the tasty flavor will make up for that. Serve warm!

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.

curry

Oven Roasted Curry Chicken Recipe.

Curry Pork With String Beans.

Vegetarian Curry Tofu Recipe.

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.

The Ultimate Curry Oxtail Recipe.

The Simplest Oven Curry Goat Recipe.

Coconut Curry Mussels Done The Caribbean Way.

The Ultimate Curry Turkey Necks Recipe.

Quick And Tasty Curry Chicken Livers.

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