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Meat & Poultry

Amazing Saag Chicken.

5 Comments on Amazing Saag Chicken.

Few housekeeping notes before we get started with this recipe to avoid the hate and backside comments. This recipe is inspired by Saag Chicken we get at a local Indian restaurant. This is NOT (even though the ingredients are very similar) genuine Indian Saag Chicken, it’s my take on Saag Chicken if we were to do it in the Caribbean. The technique you’ll see me use, is called Curry-Stew!

You’ll Need…

3.5 – 4 lbs chicken thighs
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 shallot (diced)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2-3 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
2 lbs spinach (baby)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 seasoning pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups water
8 cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

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 use, as some may have flour as a filler. It’s also important that you wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers as Scotch Bonnet.

In a large bowl, place the chicken pieces (I used large chicken thighs which I cut in half – along the bone) and season with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, ketchup (trust me), scotch bonnet pepper (as much as you can handle), curry powder, onion, shallot, grated ginger, garlic and seasoning pepper (aka pimento pepper). Note the ginger will give it a spicy note so be mindful of that when adding the Scotch Bonnet (btw Habanero is a tasty replacement if you can’t source Scotch Bonnet).

Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours.

Heat a big heavy pot on high heat and add the oil. Followed by the brown sugar (you may want to watch the video below to follow along) and stir. This step is called “stewing” in the Caribbean. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then deep amber in color (NOT BLACK). At this point add the seasoned chicken to the pot and stir well to coat. Should you miss and it goes black, STOP. Allow the pot to cool, wash, dry and start over or you will have bitter tasting chicken. Yes, it will go smoky so turn the fan on over your stove or open a window.

Be gentle when adding the seaoned chicken to the pot as the melted sugar can burn you something bad.

Turn the heat to medium, place the lid on and allow it to go to a boil. In doing so the chicken will release it’s own juices. 6 minutes later, remove the lid and crank up the heat.. we want to burn off that liquid and get the chicken pieces darker and intensify the overall flavor.

After about 5 minutes on high, you should start seeing the oil we started with (be sure to stir so the chicken don’t burn). Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil – to cook off the raw chicken. For max flavor, swish the water in the same bowl you marinated the chicken in before adding it to the pot, so we get all remnants of that seasoning.

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the spinach (washed/drained) and allow it to go on that gentle rolling boil. It will seem like a lot of spinach, but it wilt down. Be sure to tuck it in between the pieces of chicken.

For more flavor.. instead of 1 1/2 cups of water, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup coconut milk.

25 minutes later, taste for salt and adjust accordingly, determine how you want the gravy (cook longer if you want it thicker) and finally, toss in the tomato. Turn off the stove!

I’ll continue to hit that Friday Special at Gates Of India (restaurant), but dare I say, my version (while not authentic and not done in disrespect) is a very tasty Caribbeanized version of this classic dish.

Serve with steamed rice or hot 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

The Ultimate Chicken Tikka Masala.

1 Comment on The Ultimate Chicken Tikka Masala.

Two clarifications to make before we get to the recipe. 1. There’s ABSOLUTELY nothing “Caribbean” about this recipe. However I was challenged to share this Chicken Tikka Masala reccipe via Instagram and I also believe it would be something which would fit naturally within our diverse culinary landscape. And 2. …don’t spend too much time analyzing the bold title – I do stand behind the recipe 100% though (smile).

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken (boneless chicken thighs)
1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cardamon (about 5 pods)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or powder)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee)
1 large onion (diced)
2 medium tomatoes (diced finely – almost like a thick paste)
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped finely)

It’s time to season and marinate the chicken pieces. First off I placed the coriander seeds, cumin and cardamon pods in my spice grinder and created a powder. Feel free to use powdered coriander, cumin and cardamon if you don’t have a spice grinder. A stone mortar and pestle will work as well.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the salt, black pepper, yogurt, coriander, cumin, cardamon, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, ginger and garlic. Then mix in the veg oil and marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.

It’s time to get started cooking. I’d recommend taking the marinated chicken out of the fridge about 15 minutes before we start here, as to get it up to room temperature. Add the clarified butter to a deep/wide pan over medium heat. Then add the pieces of seasoned chicken and cook/brown for about 10-13 minutes (flip). You may need to do this in two batches.

Set the chicken aside to cool a bit. There should still be fat in the pot (if not add more clarified butter). Adjust the heat to low, then add the diced onion (if you want to add more garlic and ginger here, you may). Add the tomato paste and diced tomato after 2 minutes.

Cook on the low heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the coconut milk. In most recipes you’ll see people use cream, but being from the Caribbean… you knew I’d rock the coconut milk. I almost forgot (IMPORTANT) add the coconut milk to the bowl you marinated the chicken in and swish it around to pick up any remaining spices etc. Then add to the pot. Raise the heat to bring to a gentle boil.

The chicken should be cool enough to handle now, cut into serving size pieces and get ready to add to the pot once it comes to a boil.

Stir well after adding the chicken to the pot, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Basically until all the flavors and textures combines nicely and you get a consistency to the gravy you’re happy with. Due to the slight acidity from the tomatoes, I like adding a bit of honey (or brown sugar) at this point.

Taste for salt and adjust to your own liking, then top with the chopped cilantro. Do remember that the gravy will thicken more with the residual heat from the pot.

My take on the classic Chicken Tikka Masala. Succulent pieces of chicken, in a rich gravy.. just screaming for some hot roti! If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Recipe Card

The Ultimate Chicken Tikka Masala
Print Recipe

Ultimate Chicken Tikka Masala

Cuisine: Courses: , , , , , Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Non Vegetarian
Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 2 hrs Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6

Description

This dish features marinated chicken tikka pieces simmered in a creamy, spiced tomato-coconut sauce; rich, comforting, and infused with island-inspired flavor.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

  1. In a bowl, combine yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cardamom, salt, and pepper. 

  2. Add chicken pieces, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  3. Heat oil or ghee in a skillet over medium. Add diced onion and sauté 3–4 minutes until soft.

  4. Add marinated chicken (reserve extra marinade), browning on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

  5. Add tomatoes and reserved marinade to the pan. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until tomatoes begin to break down.

  6. Return chicken to pan, stir in coconut milk and honey. 

  7. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 15–20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens.

  8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in cilantro before serving.
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Vegetarian

A simple recipe for fry aloo (potato).

18 Comments on A simple recipe for fry aloo (potato).

Trini fry alooOne of the best things about growing up in a multi-racial country is the amount of different dishes you’re exposed to. Not just that we share in everyone’s culture (like around religious holidays etc) we also experiment with each others food. This resulted in dishes that are uniquely Trinbagonian as we’ve added our own touch (even KFC). Take fry aloo for instance. I’ve come across many “Indian” food blogs where the name of the dish is the same but the preparation and ingredients somewhat differs.

Even locally I seen recipes differ a bit, with people adding their own signature touch to enhance the final product. Personally I love me some fry aloo, but with left over corned beef (still have to post that recipe for you) added at the end.

This is the recipe for the traditional “Trini” way of making fry aloo and it just happens to be the way our daughters like it.

You’ll Need…
5 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold)
1/2 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-6 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)

Start by peeling the potatoes, then wash and slice (not too thick – cut down the center and then slice about 1/8 to 1/4 inch). Also peel and crush the garlic, slice the onion and pepper .. set aside.

how to cook fry aloo

fry aloo trini recipe

In a heavy pot, add the oil and allow to heat on medium to high heat. As the oil heats up add the onion, garlic and pepper and allow to cook for a couple minutes. We’re trying to infuse the flavours into the oil before we add the sliced potato. As the onions start going brown, drain (if you had it sitting in water as I did) the sliced potato and start adding it to the pot.

fry aloo

This can be a very greasy dish, so if you can use oil that’s not full of saturated fats and cholesterol, it would be best. Also note that depending on the potato you use, you may be required to add a bit more oil as it cooks.

After you’ve added the potato, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow this to cook for about 20 minutes and try to stir every 5 minutes or so. You will notice a couple things as it cooks.. It will start to stick to the bottom of the pot (that’s normal) and it will start going golden brown. When stirring, try to scrape off any bits that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you find that it’s to the point where it’s burning, turn down the heat to low. As mentioned cook covered for 20 minutes.

Trini fry aloo

After it’s been cooking for the 20 minutes, it will start to break apart and it will change in colour. The final step is to remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Check to make sure the potato is fully cooked (should be soft) and double check for salt.

fry aloo recipe

fry aloo trini style

So simple, yet very tasty. The best way to enjoy this fry aloo is with Sada Roti or with any type of flat bread or if all fails.. everyday sliced bread.

I’m sure many of you have a different way of preparing this dish and I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

Note: I mentioned that there’s the chance that you may need more oil. But I don’t think I mentioned how you can tell. If you find that midway through cooking it starts to stick to the bottom of the pot to the point where it’s burning and it’s overall dry.. add another tablespoon or two of oil.