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 Meat & Poultry

Island style Curry Pork Recipe.

May 27, 2025October 2, 20149 Comments

Curry wasn’t cooked often in our home when we were growing up (dad was not a fan of curry), especially pork. Mom’s go-to recipe when it came to pork was either stewed (stewed pork recipe) or roasted in the oven. When I moved to Canada and started living with my aunt (mentioned her in my cookbook), I learned to both appreciate and master the art of cooking Caribbean style curry dishes. Pork being one of them.

This curry pork is absolutely delicious.. tender pieces of pork, simmered in a delightful curry sauce which is not heavy and wickedly spicy if you break the scotch bonnet when cooking. The key here is to try and get pieces of pork with bones.. lean pork will work, but the bones gives it that extra layer of flavor (IMO).

You’ll Need…

3 lbs pork (I used ribs ends)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped shado beni (culantro)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted Geera (cumin)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato
2 shallots
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 scallion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
water – about 3-4 cups

Notes: If you cannot source the shado beni (aka culantro), use 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. I like using a madras blend curry powder, but one made in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago). If doing this gluten free, do pay attention to the curry powder you use to make sure there’s no flour added. Some curry powder adds flour to their blend.

Cut the pieces of pork (if your butcher didn’t already) and wash, drain and get ready to marinate (this is key). I used a cheap piece (already cut at the grocery store) of pork, with pieces from around the rib area of the piggy. In a big bowl, mix in the green seasoning, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, tomato (diced), salt, ketchup, chopped scallion and grated ginger with the pieces of pork. You have two options here when it comes to the scotch bonnet pepper. If you want raw heat, cut and use as much as you want in the marination process. If you want flavor, when we get the pot going, add the whole pepper and try NOT to break it.. or you’ll release the beast!

* Remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after using cut scotch bonnet peppers.

Give everything a good mix, cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Let’s jump to actually cooking now! Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan (one with a lid) on a medium heat, then add the diced onion and garlic.. lower the heat as low as it can go and allow the flavors to develop for about 3-5 minutes. With the heat still on low add the curry powder and mix well. The goal here is to cook off the raw taste of the curry so we don’t get a rawness to the finished dish.

It will go darker, you will have that lovely bouquet of curry in your kitchen and it will have a tendency to clump.. that’s natural. If you find that it’s too dry, feel free to add a bit more oil to the pot. After 4-5 minutes, turn the heat to high and start adding the seasoned pieces of pork to the pot. The goal is to coat the pork with the curry and to deglaze the pot.

Bring it up to a boil (it will release natural liquid), then turn it down to medium low, cover the pot and let it go for about 8-10 minutes. Then remove the lid and turn the heat back up to high. We want to burn off all that natural liquid and really intensify that curry flavor in the pieces of pork.

In the same bowl you marinated the pork (don’t discard the marinade), swish around 3 cups of water and set aside for use. Once the liquid is burnt off, it’s time to add that water to the pan (be sure you can see some of the oil we started off at the bottom of the pan before adding the water). Bring that to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and let that slowly braise for about 1.5 hrs.

After its done it’s thing, we have to personalize this a bit (pork should be tender by now).. turn up the heat and burn off the liquid until you have a gravy consistency you like (I like it somewhat thick) and taste for salt. Adjust accordingly as my appreciation for salt will be different than yours. After turning off the stove I like to go in with the chopped shado beni (or cilantro) and let the residual heat help release the flavors from that. Do remember to remove the whole scotch bonnet pepper before serving.

TIP – Pork can be fatty… (remember I didn’t use a lean pork), so you’ll notice that some of the fat will rise to the surface of the pan. Spoon out and discard (not down your sink though – that can clog pipes).

If you want to make quicker work of this you can add it (after the initial 10 minutes of cooking the pork in the curry – before we added the water) to a pressure cooker for about 10-15 minutes (with 2 cups water) After it’s safe to open the pressure cooker, remove the lid and turn up the heat to thicken the gravy.

* This can be frozen with great results. Simply thaw, heat and serve when you’re ready for another dose of curry pork..which also happens to be gluten free. Curry traditionalists may query the use of tomato and ketchup, but I assure you the acid will help balance the flavors nicely.

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.

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.

Meat & Poultry

Curry Cabbage With Leftover Caribbean Stewed Chicken.

May 27, 2025December 29, 201312 Comments

Cabbage is another one of those vegetables mom could never get us to eat, unless it was in chow mein or if she added leftover stewed meats to it. However these days you can always find cabbage in our crisper in the fridge as I add it to many dishes I prepare. Especially if I’m trying to ‘stretch’ a dish to feed more people. With left-over stewed chicken in the fridge, I thought this would be an excellent time to share the curry cabbage with stewed chicken mom would bribe us into eating cabbage when we were kids.

If you’re new to the website and don’t know what ‘Stewed chicken” is, see: Tasty Trinidad style stew chicken recipe.

You’ll Need…

1 medium cabbage (shredded)
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon curry powder (your fav)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* left over stewed chicken

Notes: I used a Caribbean made Madras curry powder in making this dish , but you’re free to use your favorite kind. This dish is just as delicious if you choose not to add any meats and have it fully vegetarian.

Shred the cabbage, crush the garlic, dice the onion and slice the scotch bonnet pepper (don’t use any of the seeds of the pepper or it will be very spicy). Then heat the oil on a medium flame and add the garlic and onion. Turn the heat down to low and allow this to slowly cook for 3-5 minutes.

With you heat still on low, add the curry powder and black pepper and mix around. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.. basically we’re toasting the curry powder to release all the flavors of the spices. It will go darker and grainy.

Turn the heat up to medium and start adding the cabbage, it will wilt as it cooks in the event you find that your pan is crowded. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and salt.

Turn the heat down to med-low, cover the pot and let it go for about 7 minutes or so. Stir a couple times during this cooking period.

Remove the lid (here is where you’ll personalize it a bit) and taste for salt and see if the texture is close to how you like it. Add the pieces of leftover stewed chicken, stir and turn up the heat to burn off any excess liquid (about 3-4 minutes).

For a little flair I added some chopped cherry tomatoes at the end. This is a wonderful side dish and goes well with rice or roti and is excellent on sandwiches.

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.

Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Eggplant Simmered In Coconut Milk.

May 27, 2025October 12, 20138 Comments

Even as child my mom recalls how much I loved eggplant (baigan), stewed, curry and my all-time favorite , roasted over an open flame and made into baigan choka. Today that affection for eggplant aka aubergine, baigan, brinjal, brinjal eggplant and melongene is just as strong and I try to find different ways to put this lovely vegetable to use. In this recipe we’ll go through the steps of making a classic Caribbean style curry chicken, then we’ll add the cubed eggplant along with some potatoes into the pot with the coconut milk and let it simmer to perfection in the curry sauce.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs chicken thighs (skinless)
1 large eggplant
4 medium potatoes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon veg oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
3 birds eye (bird pepper) pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water

Notes. I like using a madras blend curry made in the Caribbean, but you can use your fav. Feel free to use 1/4 scotch bonnet pepper instead of the bird pepper.

Wash, drain and season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning, then allow it to marinate for about 2 hours.

Now heat the oil on a medium flame (in a deep sauce pan) and add the diced onion and garlic to the pot. Turn the heat down to low and let that cook for about 3 minutes so they soften up and start a lovely flavor base.

With your heat still on low, add the curry powder, stir well and let that toast for about 3-5 minutes. The curry will go darker, start to go grainy and take on a wonderful scent. Be sure the heat is on low to avoid the curry burning. In this step we’re cooking the curry so you don’t get that ‘raw’ curry taste when the dish is done cooking. We’re also awakening the spices which make up the curry powder.

15 minutes before you’re ready to cook, take the marinating chicken out of the fridge so it comes back to room temperature. Now add the seasoned chicken to the pot, turn up the heat so you can sear the chicken and get the pieces covered in the curry base we made. Turn the heat back down to med/low, place the lid on and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Add the birds eye peppers at this time as well.

The chicken will release it’s own natural juices, so turn the heat up and burn off that liquid. This will help to intensify the curry flavor of the chicken. It’s now time to add the cubed eggplant (you can peel it or leave it with the skin on), the cubed potatoes and top it with the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil (raise the heat), then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender. You can have the lid slightly ajar as it cooks and do remember to stir every 5-8 minutes.

Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. If the sauce (gravy) is thin all you have to do is press a few pieces of the potato with the back of your spoon to crush them and it will help thicken up things. This curry chicken with eggplant will not be the most attractive dish, but I assure the curry base with the addition of the coconut milk will ensure you have a very flavorsome dish.

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.

Vegetarian

Traditional Curry Pigeon Peas Recipe.

December 3, 2014September 10, 20139 Comments

I hated going with our mom and dad to pick peas (harvest pigeon peas) in our garden as it was always in the afternoon when my friends would be playing football (soccer) plus the heat between the trees (from the day’s sun) was stifling. You had to sort through fully developed peas and avoid the younger ones which were not ready for harvesting. You couldn’t just grab the whole bunch off the trees and make fast work of the harvest. The good part about this job was that if I helped to pick peas I didn’t have to participate in shelling… something I hated even more (I would eat tons while shelling so I always got into trouble with our mom) and the residue on your fingers was not appealing.

Peas season (as we called the 2 month period where pigeon peas were in abundance) was a fun time for me as it always meant getting a good dose of two of my favorite dishes.. pelau and curry pigeon peas, so when I got access to fresh pigeon peas I knew right way that I had to share this recipe with you all.

You’ll Need…

3 cups pigeon peas (shelled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1.5 tablespoon curry powder
1 small tania (coco in Jamaica)
2 cups water
2 leaves shado beni (chadon beni, culantro) *

* I used fresh green pigeon peas, but I know this recipe works well with canned pigeon peas, but cooked for a shorter time and less water. Email me if you need help with that. If you can’t get the tania you can use 2 medium potatoes.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan on medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, turn the heat down to low and cook for 3 minutes. With the heat still on low, add the curry powder (I used a madras blend made in the Caribbean) and stir well. Let that toast for about 3 minutes. It will cook the raw taste of the curry off and waken up the spices which make up the curry.

Now add the diced pepper and give it a quick stir.

Rinse and drain the pigeon peas then add it to the pot at this point. Turn up the heat, add the water, diced tania, salt, black pepper and shado beni. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 35-40 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. If you’re using canned pigeon peas, cook for about 1/2 hr.

As the peas cook your kitchen will have that wicked scent of a good vegetable curry and do remember to stir it occasionally. The gravy will start to thicken up and if it’s till a bit thin, using the back of your spoon you can crush some of the now cooked peas to help thicken the gravy. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.You can also turn up the heat to burn off any extra liquid.

This is an excellent side for roti, rice or bread, and if you’re like me you’d even treat it as a soup? As it cools it will thicken up a bit so do keep that in mind when cooking off any extra liquid in the pot.

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.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Curry Okra Recipe.

June 23, 2013May 15, 20139 Comments

As a kid I hated the taste and texture of okra (ochro) but I can safely say that it’s now one of my favorite vegetables to use in cooking. Soups and stews is not complete without a few okras in there, but pan frying them is still my choice. Our mom probably gets a good laugh these days when I request fried okra when we visit her and my dad.. back in the day we (my brother and sisters) all refused to partake in anything okra related. Poor woman always had to cook something different for us.

When most people hear the word ‘vegetarian’ attached to a dish they automatically think it’s something bland and just plain ole flavorless. Nothing could be further from the truth with this vegetarian curry okra.

You’ll Need

1 lb okra
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic
2 bird pepper aka birds eye (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
1 pimento pepper (aka seasoning pepper)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon madras curry powder

Note: Fried okra is notorious for needing a lot of oil (absorbs it) so I recommend using a non stick pan if you can, to eliminate the use for more oil.

Tip: To make sure the cooked okra is not slimy (as it can be) wash, pat dry then remove the stems and cut into desired thickness. Place the cut okra on a cookie sheet in a single layer and allow to air dry for a couple hours. Place in direct sun for even better results.

Dice the onion, garlic, hot pepper and pimento pepper (optional) . Then heat the vegetable oil on medium heat and toss in the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low and let that cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Now it’s time to add the curry powder and some fresh ground black pepper. The heat should still be on low as we want to toast the curry powder to release it’s flavors and not burn the curry. Let that go for 3 minutes.. be sure to stir. You should start getting that lovely curry aroma.

Add the diced peppers and stir. Turn up the heat to medium and start adding the cut okra to the pot. The idea is to stir-fry the okra in the curry base and here is where you’ll need to personalize this dish a bit. Depending on how ‘cooked’ you like okra, you will have to adjust your cooking time. Do NOT cover the pan as we don’t want steam/moisture to develop as this is another factor for making okra slimy.

I let it cook for about 15 minutes before it was to my liking. At this point I salted the dish (always try to salt okra near the end of cooking so it does not develop moisture.. a tip I got from Cynthia @ http://www.tasteslikehome.org/) and gave it a final stir. You’ll notice how the okra maintained most of it’s brilliant green color, with tasty caramelized edges and the curry base with just delightful.

You’ll love sharing this vegetarian curry okra with your family and friends and there’s enough here for 4-5 people as a side dish. I love having this curry okra with sada roti (sada roti recipe), but it’s also works well as an accompaniment to rice or as any typical vegetable side dish.

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

Lamb Chops Braised In A Coconut Curry Sauce

May 28, 2025March 1, 201324 Comments

As a young fella growing up on the islands I recall lamb not being a very popular choice when it came to meats we prepare (quite honestly.. our mom never made it). Back then and today goat still is the champ when it comes to a good curry. With variations on the recipe itself, you can find curry goat cooked on just about every island in the Caribbean and on the menu in every Caribbean restaurant outside the Caribbean.

I’m no fan of lamb due to a terrible experience I had with grilled lamb I purchase a few years ago (leathery), but this recipe is simply delightful and will become a hit in your home.

You’ll Need…

5 lamb chops (about 3 lbs)
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 scallions
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon shado beni chopped
1 cup water
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (finely diced – no seeds)
1 shallot finely chopped (or onion)
2 tablespoon chopped parsley (flat leaf)

Note. If you don’t have grape tomatoes, use 1 medium tomato chopped. If you don’t have shado beni use 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro. I used a madras blend curry powder out of the Caribbean (much different than the stuff you get from India). For the gluten free version of the lamb curry, do make sure that the curry powder you use does not contain any flour (used as an additive in some case) or it will not meet with your gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and pat the lamb chops dry with paper towels, then heat the oil in a deep/heavy sauce pan on med/high heat. Add the chops, so they brown on each side for a few minutes (you may need to turn the heat down to medium).

Remove the browned lamb chops and set aside. Turn the heat down to low and add a tablespoon more oil if necessary. Toss in the diced shallot (on onion) , crushed garlic and grate the ginger directly into the pot. Let that cook on low for about 3 minutes (be sure to move around) so you get that wonderful flavor base. Now add the curry powder and cook for a couple minutes (stir well). It will go grainy and darker as it cooks. You’ll be hit by a wicked tsunami of flavors at this point. Now add back the browned chops and if there’s any liquid from them..add also. Move around the pan to try and pick up some of that curry base we created.

Now toss in the chopped shado beni, scotch bonnet pepper, scallions, thyme and black pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the salt, coconut milk and water. Turn the heat up so you can bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low so you have a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let that cook for about 1.5 hrs or until the lamb is tender and falling off the bones. Remember to stir the pot every 10-15 minutes.

Here’s where you may need to personalize this dish a bit. I like my gravy thick, so I turned up the heat to burn off any excess liquid (you can leave gravy or burn it all off) and remember to check to see if it has enough salt for your liking. When the gravy is as thick as you want, toss in the chopped parsley and the grape tomatoes, turn off the heat and cover the lid for about 3 minutes..

The tender pieces of this lamb cooked in the coconut curry sauce will be outstanding as a side for roti, ground provisions, rice, dumplings or even something as simple as a side salad. If you’re adding a little Caribbean flair to your normal dinner, this curry lamb would make for a great addition. If you’re concerned about heat, don’t use any of the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper as that’s where most of that raw heat is. The earthy flavors from the spices which make up the curry will work well with the mellowness of the coconut milk and the fresh herbs will truly take this dish over the top.

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.

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Traditional Curry Pigeon Peas Recipe.

Vegetarian Curry Okra Recipe.

Lamb Chops Braised In A Coconut Curry Sauce

Recipe Card

Caribbean Coconut Curry Lamb Chops

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