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Gluten Free Main Dishes

Egg And Aloo (curry egg with potato).

Did your mom fry the eggs after boiling them and before making the curry? While it seems that’s the traditional way of making this comforting dish, our mom would simply boil the eggs and add them (cut in 1/2) to the curry base. Additionally I don’t recall that she ever added potatoes or aloo to it.

3 tablespoon veg oil
7 hard boiled eggs
1 medium onion (diced)
3-4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon ground masala
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon curry powder
1 3/4 cups water
1 medium tomato (diced)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
4 medium potatoes (pre-boiled in salted water)
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Notes. May I recommend following along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If making this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. You’ll notice that I finished with chopped parsley, traditionally chopped Chadon Beni (culantro) would be used. Alternatively chopped cilantro (coriander) could be used. Should you want to add Caribbean Green Seasoning after adding the onion and garlic, it would make a great addition.

Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium flame and fry the boiled eggs (peeled) until they form a slight crust and take on a golden color. How dark you want it is totally up to you. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the flame to low and add the onion, garlic, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper (any spicy pepper you like and in the amount you can tolerate), ground masala and cook for 3 minutes (same pot).

Now add the curry powder of your choice and cook for a further 3-4 minutes on low.

Turn the heat up to med/high and add the water, which you’ll bring to a boil. Then add the diced tomato and salt and cook on a rolling boil for 4 minutes (med/low heat).

It’s now time to add the pre-boiled potato (aloo) to the pot.

This will allow the potatoes as well as the eggs to absorb that lovely curry sauce we created. Add the eggs back to the pot now.

Tuck everything under the curry sauce and cook on a simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Now determine if the salt is to your liking and adjust if necessary, then top with the chopped parsley and reduce the sauce or gravy to the consistency you prefer. In my case I shut off the stove after adding the parsley and allowed the pot’s residual heat to thicken things up for me.

Mom would usually serve this with Sada Roti, but I was too lazy to deal with flour, so I heated a buss-up-shut (paratha) roti I had in the freezer.

Should you want to add a teaspoon of ground roasted cumin (geera) the final 3-4 minutes of cooking, it will further enhance this curry 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/

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/

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Incredible Caribbean Curry Chicken With Potato.

No you’re not seeing double! If you’ve been following my culinary exploits here from day one, you would have seen me share a similar Curry Chicken With Potato (aloo) recipe about 8 years ago. And while that recipe is timeless, the google indexing bots are no longer as kind to the website, so if you were do do a search online you’ll never find that classic (original) recipe.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (sliced)
5-8 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
5 1/2 cups water (divided)
2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon roasted geera (cumin)
1 teaspoon anchar masala
5 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4’s)
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro

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 – read the label if you don’t make your own. I used an extra Habanero pepper (floated) in this dish as I enjoy my curry very spicy.

Watch the video below to see how I broke down a whole chicken for this recipe. Feel free to use thighs or drums if that is what you have on hand or prefer using. Additionally, you may use chicken breast, but IMHO you get better results with bone in/ dark meat.

Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoon of the Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well and allow to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

Heat your deep pot on a medium flame and add the oil. Followed by the onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Turn the heat down to low and gently cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the remaining Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir. 30 seconds later add the curry powder and mix well.. heat still on low please. This step will toast the curry powder and bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder.

4 Minutes later, crank the heat to high and add 1/2 cup water, stir and then add the Geera and anchar masala (you can get this on amazon or your local Caribbean market – or double up on the roasted geera aka cumin). The goal here is to do two things. 1 Cook out the rawness of the curry and 2. to burn off the water we added to intensify the flavor of the curry base.

It will go dark, thick and perfume the kitchen with all the curry niceness. As soon as all the liquid is gone and you can see the oil we started with, add the seasoned chicken and stir well to coat each piece.

Bring to a boil (about 3-4 minutes), turn the heat down to medium and cover the pot. In the same bowl you marinated the chicken swish around the 5 cups of water and set aside for now.

After 4 minutes with that lid on, you’ll notice a lot of liquid sprouted. Turn the heat back up to high and burn off that liquid to intensify the overall flavor of the curry. (lid off).

3-4 minutes on high and the liquid should be gone. Add the potato, stir and add the 5 cups of water to fully cook the chicken and get the potatoes tender and falling apart.

As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a rolling boil, lid on (slightly ajar) and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. This is where I floated the Habanero pepper (not mentioned in the ingredient list) .. if you do, you can break it later on as I did, to release the fury or don’t break to get the flavor of the oil on the outside of the pepper and not the raw heat.

Here is where you’ll taste it for salt and adjust to your liking. Also, you can (up to you) use your spoon to crush some of the potato pieces to help thicken the gravy.

I allowed the pot to go for 4 minutes with the lid off and then it was time to turn off the stove, toss in the cilantro (better if you have shado beni) and get ready for an incredible curry dish. IMPORTANT! If it looks runny, please note that it will thicken up as it cools down.

Back to using chicken breast… be sure to check out my Curry Chicken Breast video if you like white meat and you don’t want dry, bland and tough curry chicken without bones and dark meat.


Serve with hot steaming rice or your favorite 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/

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Crab With Shrimp and Potatoes.

Here’s a classic Caribbean Seafood Curry which will not only excite the tastebuds, but one which will get even get those picky eaters eager to be at the dinner table. Succulent shrimp, tender potatoes and a gravy rich with crab flavor, without being overbearing. NO this does not need coconut milk (but I’ll leave that up to you).

You’ll Need..

3 ocean crabs (cleaned and cut in 1/4s)
1 – 1.5 lb shrimp (large 21-25)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning (divided)
3/4 tablespoon sea salt (divided) *adjust
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 medium potatoes (in 1/4)
3- 4 cups water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 – 2 tablespoon Curry Powder
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera)
1 teaspoon Anchar masala
2 wiri wiri peppers
1 medium onion (diced)
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium tomato
2 tablespoon Shado beni (or cilantro)
* Juice of one lemon to wash the crab and shrimp

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, in the event there’s any ‘filler” in it. I used Yukon Gold potatoes as I love the texture it gets when it’s cooked and breaks down (to thicken the dish), but feel free to use any variety you like.

Wash the crab and shrimp (please devein) with cool water and the lemon juice and set aside.

Deep pan on medium flame, add the olive oil followed by the garlic, onion and wiri wiri peppers (any spicy pepper you like will work). Turn the heat down to low so we don’t burn the garlic. Add the cumin seeds and stir – heat still on low.

After 4-5 minutes, add the curry powder and stir. It’s will go darker, start clumping and release a lovely scent. This sort of wet toasting will allow the spices which makes up a good curry powder, to bloom. Add the black pepper at this point. Now turn the heat to medium, stir and add 1/4 cup water to the pot. Scrape to release anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.

As the water drys up, add the Anchar Masala and roasted cumin (geera) and stir well. Yes that’s even more wicked flavors right there.

Keep stirring and get rid of all the liquid. We’re hoping to see the oil we started with. Toss in the crab at this point followed by the 1 1/4 tablespoon of the Caribbean Green seasoning and 1/2 tablespoon of the salt. Mix well. Toss in the diced tomato, that acidity will help bring balance to the dish.

Go in with the potato, stir to coat, then add the rest of the water and bring to a boil (turn up the heat).

Season the shrimp with the remaining green seasoning and salt. Set aside.

Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook with the lid on (slightly ajar), until the potato is tender and start breaking down.

20 minutes later and the potatoes should be fully cooked. Using your spoon crush a few pieces of the potato to help thicken the gravy and turn the heat up if you have a lot of liquid, until you get a consistency you like (remember it will thicken as it cool).

Here’s where we’ll add the season shrimp to the pot, stir in well and cook for 1-2 minutes before you turn off the stove. Let the residual heat finish cooking the shrimp or we risk over-cooking the shrimp.

Taste for salt (you will need) and adjust accordingly. Toss in the shado beni (or cilantro), cover the pot and leave it for 3-4 minutes before serving.

You now have and iconic Caribbean Seafood Curry to enjoy with your family and friends. Serve with rice or 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/

Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Butternut Squash.

You’re about to CHANGE your Curry Chicken game FOREVER! It’s ridiculous how simply adding roasted Butternut Squash (any squash will work) changes everyday curry chicken to something even more comforting and tasty. No, there’s no need to add coconut to this dish IMHO (I know there will be people asking).

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken
2 medium butternut squash (5-6 cups)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
3 tablespoon curry powder (divided)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 3/4 tablespoon salt (divided)
1/3 cup water for cooking curry
1 tomato (diced)
1 tablespoon black pepper (divided)
10 cloves garlic (divided)
1 small onion (diced)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera)
1 teaspoon anchar masala
1 1/2 cups water
1-2 tablespoon shado beni (chopped)

Note: use cilantro if you cannot get shado beni (culantro) and adjust the salt to your liking. Also (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 requirements. Especially the Curry Powder you decide on using.

Peel, wash and cube the squash into 1 inch pieces. Then in a bowl, toss them with 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 tablespoon salt, 1/2 the black pepper, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 4 cloves garlic smashed and brown sugar. Then onto a roasting tray (single layer) and into the oven at 400 F.

As the squash roast off it’s time to marinate the chicken (cut, trim off excess fat and skin – wash with lemon juice and cool water – if you wash your chicken). With the chicken in a large bowl, add the remaining salt and black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning and tomato, then give it a good toss. Allow to marinate for an hour or 2 for best results.

Heat the remaining oil on a medium flame (heavy pot), followed by the onion, remaining garlic (smashed) and Scotch Bonnet pepper (use as much as you can handle, I like curry spicy). As you start seeing brown edges on the garlic and onion, add the remaining curry powder to the pan and mix well.

It will go darker (normal thing), add the 1/3 cup of water after 3-4 minutes and stir and scrape the bottom of the pot. This step cooks out the ‘rawness’ of the curry. Here’s where we’ll add the Anchar Masala and Roasted Cumin (geera) – stir well.

The goal now is to burn off that liquid we added, until we see the oil at the bottom of the pot that we started with. Can take 3-5 minutes.

It will be a thick paste! Now add the seasoned chicken to the pot (heat high) and stir well to coat each piece with that curry goodness.

Put the lid on, heat to medium and cook. (watch the video below if the descriptive text is a bit confusing)

35 minutes in the oven and the squash is good to come out. Set aside. (watch the video below to know why we roasted the squash)

6 minutes later, remove the lid off the pot and crank up the heat to high. We again want to burn off that natural liquid that sprouted. As its gone, add the water to the bowl you marinated the chicken in and move around to get any remaining marinade. Pour that 1 1/2 cups of water into the pot and bring back to a boil.

After cooking on medium for 4-5 minutes, it’s time to add the roasted squash to the pot. Be gentle as we don’t want to crush it.

Gently stir and cook for 4-5 minutes or until you have a gravy consistency you like. The squash will suck-up some of that gravy! Taste for salt and adjust, toss in the chopped Shado Beni (or cilantro). Turn off the heat as the residual heat in the pot will further thicken the gravy as it cools.

Absolutely one of the best curry dishes you’ll ever make/enjoy – guaranteed! Serve with Rice, Roti or if all fails… even basic sliced bread (smile).

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 Chicken.

If you’re looking for the ULTIMATE Curry Chicken dish cooked in under 30 minutes, you’re in the right place. This classic masala chicken is not only packed with a definitive punch of flavor, it’s super easy and quick to put together. Using skinless, boneless chicken thighs is the key for maximum flavor and speed of cooking.

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 (sliced)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/3 cup water (cooking the curry at the start)
1 tablespoon ground roast geera (cumin)
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
2 tablespoon chopped parsley (cilantro or shado bein will be better)

Note: I used boneless chicken thighs as I find that I get the most flavor from this cut of chicken (with bones will give you even more flavor IMHO) as most people hate dealing with bones. 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 a filler/thickener.

  • I somehow lost the first set of images of me cutting and seasoning the chicken so if you want to see that part, watch the video below.

Cut the chicken into serving size pieces (I go traditional and wash my chicken with lemon or lime juice and cool water – but it’s up to you to do this step) then season with the salt, black pepper, ketchup, Caribbean Green Seasoning, scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat) and tomato. The ketchup and tomato will add a lovely balance with the acidity and help with a thick gravy at the end. Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours.

Get a heavy pot on a high heat, add the oil, then add the onion, shallot and 4 cloves of garlic (smashed) and cook for about 40 seconds to one minute on that high heat.

Add the curry powder and stir well to wet-toast and allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to bloom.

It will go darker and clump, then add the 1/3 cup of water and stir. Add the roasted geera (cumin) and Anchar Masala (check your local Caribbean grocery store) and stir well. With the heat still on high, that water will burn off (yes we MUST burn off that liquid) to the point you’re seeing the oil we started with at the bottom of the pot. Burning off that liquid will ensure we don’t get a ‘raw’ curry taste later on. Start adding the seasoned chicken to the pot and stir well to deglaze and coat.

After 5 minutes, you’ll see juices naturally spout – add the remaining garlic, turn the heat down to fully cook the chicken and place a lid on the pot. If you find that the liquid is burning off quickly, add about 1/2 cup of water to the pot.

After about 20-25 minutes later, taste for salt turn off the stove and top with parsley. As mentioned above, Shado Beni (culantro) or cilantro will be better than the parsley, but all I had was parsley this day.

For more gravy you may need to add a bit of water during the cooking process (watch the video below). If you use chicken pieces with bones, it may take more than 20-25 minutes to fully cook through.

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

Incredible Curry Beef With Potato.

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

You’ll Need…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Peppery Geera (Cumin) Chicken Hearts.

While I’m no fan of geera (cumin), with a few adult beverages, crusty dinner rolls and good company, this dish hits the spot. Spicy, deep flavors of roasted cumin and tender morsels of meat, this is an excellent example of how we try to use the entire animal in the Caribbean.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 lbs Chicken Hearts
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 small Onion (diced)
3-4 cloves Garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoon Roasted Cumin – divided (ground)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers (divided) sliced and diced
2 tablespoon Cilantro

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. Also be mindful to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handing such hot peppers.

Cut each heart into two pieces, remove any fat and wash with cool water and the juice of a lime or lemon (not mentioned in the ingredients list unfortunately).

Lets now season with 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin (powder), Caribbean Green Seasoning, black pepper, salt, onion, garlic and 1 scotch bonnet pepper. Mix and let marinate for about 1 hour, two hours would be even better.

Heat a pan (I used a heavy cast iron pan as I like the way I get a caramelized flavor at the end) on a medium flame and add the oil. Add the cumin seeds, turn the heat down to low so we don’t burn the cumin seeds. Add the remaining dry roasted powder cumin (geera) and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the seasoned chicken hearts, including the marinade. Stir to coat with the geera we cooked off earlier.

As it comes to a boil, it will sprout it’s own liquid. DON’T cover, cook on a med/low flame.

BTW, if you’ve not already guessed it, in the Southern Caribbean (anywhere where East Indians Indentured Laborers influence the culinary culture) you’ll find that Cumin is called Geera.

20 – 25 minutes later the liquid will burn off. Make sure the chicken hearts are completely rid of all liquid and you get that deep rich color and hopefully you can see the oil we started off with at the bottom of the pan. Fry-Dong as my mom say!

Top with the chopped cilantro (in the Caribbean Shado Beni / Chadon Beni / Culantro would be used) and add the remaining finely diced scotch bonnet pepper (or leave it out if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Keep the seeds for even more HEAT from the Caribbean Sunshine.

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

The Ultimate Outdoor Curry Duck Recipe.

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I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of curry duck nor goat, growing up on the islands. While I do eat curry goat occasionally now, I did develop a weakness for  spicy curry duck in my adult years. Especially when it’s summertime and I can use my outdoor wood-burning stove, as we’re doing in today’s recipe. Nothing beats the deep flavor you get cooking over a wood fire.. the spices which makes up a good curry powder seems to take on a totally different flavor profile, compared to when cooked indoors or even on a propane flame outside.

You’ll Need…

8-10 lbs Duck
1 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon Roasted Geera (Cumin powder)
1 tablespoon Amchar Masalla
8 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 small onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 small onion (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 big leaf thyme (podina aka Spanish thyme)
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers
2-3 cups water.
4 tablespoon curry powder
3-4 tablespoon veg oil
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 cups water

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure that they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler.

Have your butcher use his band-saw to cut the duck into 1 – 2 inch pieces as the bones can be rather tough and brittle as well. Additionally, if you source your duck (Muscovy) at a Caribbean store, ask them to fire roast it (outer skin) if they can. This will help burn off any baby feathers. I’m not a huge fan of the skin and fat (duck can be very fatty) so I trimmed off as much as I could, then I washed the now trimmed pieces of duck with the juice of a lemon and cool water. Drain and get ready to season.

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 In a large bowl, place the duck, tomato, salt, black pepper, 2 scotch bonnet pepper (be mindful that this is supposed to be a spicy dish but you can tailor it to your own liking) , thyme, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Geera, Amchar Masalla, the small onion, scallion and big leaf thyme (crushed of chopped finely -optional). Give this a good mix and allow to marinate for at least a couple hours, but overnight in the fridge is probably best.

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I had a good bed of coals and a couple logs in my fire, so on went a heavy iron pot over the heat, along with the vegetable oil. This was followed by the diced 1/2 onion, which cooked for 2 minutes (try to have a low heat if you can), then I went in with the garlic. After 30 seconds I added my curry powder and cooked until it got fragrant and darker. This step allows us to cook off any raw curry taste which could happen at the end and allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to fully bloom.

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It’s now time to start adding the seasoned duck to the pot and try your best to stir well, so every piece of duck is coated in the lovely curry base we created. If you can, turn up your heat (I can adjust the heat by how much oxygen I allow into my wood burning stove) and allow the pieces of duck to sear a bit. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir it a couple times.

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It’s now time to burn off all the liquid which will naturally spring-up. This step is to give the duck that rich curry flavor and color. Do NOT skip this step please. So basically all I did was add a bit more fire, removed the lid off the pot and got things back to the oil we started off with. Be sure to stir well, so it doesn’t burn during this step. This may take between 5-10 minutes to burn off.

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Put the water in the same bowl you marinated the duck in, to pick up any marinade which may have been left back. Then pour it into the now ‘dry’ duck meat in the pot. Give it a good stir and bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook with the pot closed for about 40 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5-8 minutes or so and if you find that it’s drying up too fast, do add a bit more water. NO.. do NOT add any type of stock to the pot. Add some coconut milk if you want to add a different flavor to the curry.

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Here’s where you’ll now personalize things. Taste for salt and adjust, see if the meat is tender enough for you (depending on the age of the duck, it can take a bit longer to get tender).. if not cook a bit longer, and adjust the gravy to the consistency you like. Finally add the chopped cilantro (shado beni will be the typical choice in Trinidad and Tobago) and I like adding another finely diced scotch bonnet at this point as well.

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Remove the pot off the heat source and allow the residual heat to warm the diced pepper and cilantro. Get ready to enjoy the best ever curry duck you’ve ever made/had. You may thank me by sharing this recipe with your friends. (smile)

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Couple things.. be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the Scotch Bonnet peppers and you can control the amount of heat in this dish by how many peppers you choose to use as well as by using the seeds of the peppers or not. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where the raw heat will be.

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

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Amazing 20 Minute Curry Chicken With Spinach.

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Curry Chicken With Spinach.. a classic Caribbean combination (in my humble opinion). A dish which screams flavor, simple to put together and done in under 20 minutes. I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast as I much prefer the texture and flavor of darker meat, especially with bones. However, if there’s one time you can make chicken breast stand out in a curry, it’s now.  Be sure to use baby spinach leaves for best results.

You’ll Need…

1 lb chicken (1 inch pieces)
3/4 lb baby spinach
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 shallot (diced finely)
2 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
8-10 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper

Important! If doing this dish 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 contain flour as a filler. Also, keep in mind that you must wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers as scotch bonnets.

Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning and set aside. No need to marinate as we want to get this tasty dish done asap. I used boneless chicken breast but you can certainly use chicken thighs. To be 100% honest, you will get better results with chicken thighs.

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Wash the baby spinach with cool water and set aside to drain.

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Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over a low heat, then go in with the shallot and garlic. Allow this to cook on that low flame for 2-3 minutes, then add the slices of scotch bonnet pepper. Don’t use any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. Then add the curry powder and cook for 3-5 minutes. This step will do two things. Cook out the rawness of the curry and help to bloom the spices which makes up the curry blend.

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Crank the heat up to med/high and start adding the season chicken to the pot. Mix well to coat the chicken with that curry goodness. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

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Your kitchen should have the lovely aroma of a good curry being cooked. There should be no liquid in the pot and the chicken pieces properly coated with the curry. Add the washed spinach to the pot and stir well. The remaining water on the spinach leaves (from washing) will help to deglaze or release the flavor bits on the bottom of the pan.

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The spinach will wilt down so after about 2 minutes you may now go in with the tomato and stir well. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Then taste for salt and adjust to your own liking. You  may crank up your heat if you have a ton of liquid on the bottom of the pan. In my case it was done to my liking at this point.

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Feel free to add a couple tablespoon of coconut cream if you’d like to add a bit more flavor to this curry dish. I never covered the pan if you’re wondering.

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