trini chinese food Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

I mentioned in the video (see below) on YouTube, this dish takes me back to being ah lil fella on the islands. There was a Chinese restaurant on Mucurapo street in San Fernando Trinidad, where our dad would always take my brother and I after the afternoon show (movie theatre – usually western or Kung Fu movies) on Saturdays. As kids we’d get the Chicken version of this dish, however we did ‘sample’ from dad’s plate.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs med shrimp (21-30)
3 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
veg oil for frying (about 2-3 cups)
1 large onion (cut large)
1 large bell pepper (cut large)
3 scallions (cut 3/4 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 tablespoon pineapple juice | 1 small can Pineapple rings (cut into pieces)
3/4 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Notes. Please refer to the video below in the event you have any questions which were not addressed in this post. Should you want this spicy, you may add your fav peppersauce (hot sauce) or fresh chopped hot peppers. I did add fresh chopped scallions (not mentioned in the recipe list) at the end as I turned off the stove

How To Peel And Devein Shrimp

I left the tails on the shrimp, but it’s your choice. Peeled and deveined, the shrimp where washed with the juice of a lemon and cool water then drained. They were mixed with the black pepper, salt and corn starch to coat.

In another bowl I mixed the sweet and sour sauce. Add the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, grated ginger, dark soy sauce and pineapple juice (I used canned pineapple which I chopped and I reserved some of the juice/syrup from the can).

Set the sauce aside and lets get back to the shrimp. Heat about 2-3 cups of vegetable oil in a wok (any post or pan with high sides will work) on a medium/high heat. Individually add the shrimp to the hot oil and fry for one minute to a minute and a half. Remove and place on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. I did this in batches to not crowd the wok.

I drained and filtered my oil for frying fish at a later date, but I did reserve a tablespoon or so to continue.

With my wok back on a medium flame (with the tablespoon of oil), I added the onion and bell pepper. Cooked it for 3-4 minutes (toss to cook evenly), then add the scallions and stir.

Cook for another minute, then add the pineapple chunks (use fresh pineapple if you so prefer) to the wok and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the sweet and sour sauce we created earlier.

Heat the sauce through as it combined with the flavors of the bell pepper and onion… about 2 minutes, then add the pre-fried shrimp to the pot and stir well to coat with the sauce.

As soon as the shrimp heats though (2-3 minutes), shut off the stove as I’d hate for you to over-cook the shrimp. While we did season the shrimp with salt, you will need to taste and adjust the salt at the end to your liking. I’ve been trying my best to cut back on my sodium intake, so I didn’t add any to the onion and peppers at the start.

The corn starch we coated the shrimp with at the start will allow for the sweet and sour sauce to stick to the shrimp, thus giving us that perfect balance of sweet and sour with every bite! Should you be interested in the Chicken version of this recipe I briefly mention above, drop a comment below.

Meat & Poultry

Oven Soy Sauce Fried Chicken.

May 27, 2025July 20, 2021Leave a Comment

After posting the stove-top version of this classic Soy Sauce Fried Chicken a while back, there were many requests via Instagram for a more healthier version. While there’s no replacing what hot oil can do to chicken (when to comes to taste), the oven version is very close to perfection as well. The simplicity of this Chinese influenced dish makes it even more attractive to rookies and pros alike, in the kitchen.

You’ll Need…

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
2 tablespoon Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
3/4 tablespoon Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 teaspoon grated ginger

I used a whole chicken which I cut in half and trimmed off he excess fat, but kept the skin.. you want that! Feel free to use chicken legs, wings or any part of the chicken you enjoy.

watch the video to see how I parted the chicken.

For the marinade, it’s very simple. Basically all you do is put all the ingredients mentioned, in a bowl and stir well. Yes, the mushroom soy sauce makes a HUGE difference in the overall taste.

Rub this marinade all over the chicken and allow it to marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge.. overnight may give you best results.

Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before you go into the oven so the chicken comes back up o room temperature.

Set your oven to 425 to preheat. Now place the seasoned chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. TIP! Spray some cooking spray on the wire rack to prevent any sticking. Also, line the baking sheet with foil to make clean up easier later. Onto the middle rack of the oven.

55-60 minutes later and you’re done. However, this depends on how large your chicken was. Cook longer if you have a massive bird.. also you’re looking for that deep rich color and a somewhat crispy skin. Turn on the broil setting for a couple minutes if you want the chicken darker (providing it’s fully cooked).

Allow it to cool, then chop into serving sized pieces.. ENJOY! An excellent side dish for fried rice or stirfried vegetables and leftovers makes for excellent sandwiches. I’ve seen many bar (rum shop) patrons in Trinidad and Tobago snack on juicy pieces of this chicken, served with fiery pepper-sauce on the side as they enjoyed their adult beverages of choice.

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/

Delicious Chinese Influenced Green Beans With Chicken.

May 27, 2025May 7, 20191 Comment

Like Spinach (all greens), beans of all types are my some of my favorite food to eat/cook. This recipe is based on a bean dish found at many Chinese restaurants in Trinidad and Tobago (and Markham). While not the exact thing, it can hold it’s own on any dinner table. Feel free to use ground beef, turkey or pork if you want to play around with the protein a bit. And I’m sure my vegan friends can make use of some firm tofu if you’d like to give this one a test-drive. BTW, salted cod bits would rock in this recipe too (instead of the chicken).

You’ll Need…

1 lb string beans (trimmed)
1/2 lb ground chicken
2 tablespoon veg oil (add more if needed)
1 tablespoon diced ginger
2 large cloves garlic (diced fine)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
2-4 drops sesame oil
1 1/4 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2-3 birds eye pepper
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine

IMPORTANT! Please go though the entire list of ingredients if making this dish gluten free, to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy and Hoisin Sauces.

In your wok or pan, add the vegetable oil and ground chicken and brown off on a medium heat. As it cook, bring a pot of water to a boil, then go in with the trimmed beans. Blanche quickly (about 2-3 minutes), then rinse in cold water or in a bowl with water and ice. The idea is to stop the cooking and help maintain the brilliant green color.

I added the vegetable oil as the ground chicken can be very dry. Note that during the winter months in Canada, the water in the tap is very cold so I didn’t have to use ice.

Be sure to break up the chicken as it browns off. it took about 5-7 minutes. Now add the garlic, ginger and diced bird’s eye pepper (I included the seeds for a gentle kick). Cook on low heat so you don’t burn the garlic. After about 3 minutes, add the Hoisin, black pepper, and soy sauce. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the sesame oil and cooking wine and stir.

Turn the heat (med/high) up to get a bit of crisp edges on the ground chicken, then go in with the beans and stir well. Top with the salt. Do keep in mind that the soy sauce we used will help to season this dish, so be mindful if adding extra salt.

After adding the beans I cooked it for another 4 minutes or so, but you can cook for longer or less, depending on how you like your beans cooked – be mindful that we did precook the beans a bit at the start. Adjust the salt at this point. I topped with a whole bird’s eye pepper for show.

A lovely dish influenced by our rich Chinese history and culture in the Caribbean.. do give it a try and be sure to come back and share your comments below.

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

Meat & Poultry

Chicken Fried Rice.

May 27, 2025January 1, 201315 Comments

If you’re new to my website or Caribbean cuisine you’re probably wondering how does fried rice relate to the Caribbean. Our cuisine is heavily influenced by the many faces who make up our unique culture. With over 150 years of Chinese history in the Caribbean, our Chinese style food may be a bit different to what you’d find else where, but I assure you that we’ve been very busy over those years and (IMO) perfected many Chinese dishes. Ask any Tringbagonian, Guyanese or Jamaican (countries where there’s a heavy Chinese population) about this and they will only confirm what I’m saying

You’ll Need…

5 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1 lb chicken (chicken breast)
1 cup diced carrot
2 scallions (chopped finely)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic crushed or grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)
3 tablespoon dark soy sauce *
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tablespoon shado beni (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I used white rice, which was cooked in salted boiling water. For best results place the cooked rice in the fridge to chill before using. This will give you a lovely grainy texture (no clumping) and remember when cooking the rice, stop the cooking process when it’s about 95% done, so it’s not soggy. Start off with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, but depending on how dark you want the finished chicken fried rice, you may need to adjust. Please dice the scotch bonnet pepper very finely and don’t include any seeds. We simply don’t want the raw heat.

Tip. To get the chicken sliced thin, when it’s still a little frozen use a sharp knife and you’ll be better able to get thin slices since it will be firm.

The first thing we need to do is to season the sliced chicken with the 5 spice powder and black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for a few minutes. Heat your wok or non stick frying pan (you’ll need a large one) on med/high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the veg oil then add the seasoned chicken. Since we’re working with fairly high heat, remember to stir and it will cook in about 3-4 minutes. Now remove and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of veg oil to the wok, then add the diced onion and grate in the garlic and ginger. Let that cook for a minute, then add the diced carrots, bell peppers and celery. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Now add the diced scotch bonnet pepper and soy sauce.. followed by the pre cooked chicken and sesame oil. It will go very dark… that will change soon.

Now it’s time to add the rice (make sure you chilled it a bit so we get that grainy texture) and stir well. Since the rice is already cooked, all we’re doing is heating it through and infusing it with the main flavors of the fried rice.

Now it’s time to add the remaining 3 ingredients. Add the bean sprouts and toss, then top with the finely chopped scallions and if you were able to source the shado beni (see West Indian, Asian or Latin grocery stores.. may also be called Culantro) and cook for a minute or 2. That’s it.. you’re done.

As you can tell this can be a one pot dish with all those lovely vegetables, chicken and the rice itself. With such a large batch it can easily feed 6-8 people and I assure you, they will all be satisfied. Remember to taste for salt, but the soy sauce should add enough sodium to make this ideal (but you can adjust if you want more). If you find that the rice is a bit too pale for your liking you can add a tablespoon more soy sauce to darken it up a bit. If you have some frozen peas you can also add a cup of that for extra vegetables. Speaking about vegetables, did you know that my vegetarian fried rice recipe video is one of the most popular on Youtube?

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

Caribbean Inspired Chicken Lo Mein.

May 27, 2025April 18, 201226 Comments

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the cuisine of the Caribbean is heavily influenced by the many cultures and people which make up the melting pot the Caribbean is. This chicken lo mein is something I remember purchasing from food trucks in San Fernando (next to the train engine) after school. Back then the menu of the day was fried rice, lo mein (or chow mein) and five spice chicken (fried with that crispy skin). I could still taste the uniqueness the Caribbean added to these wonderful Chinese dishes. Funny thing is, there were no Chinese cooks in any of these food trucks!

You’ll Need…

8 oz egg noodle
1 carrot
2 cups bean sprouts (or cabbage)
1-2 cups of pak choi
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 scallions
2 chili pepper (I used bird peppers)
1 1/2 cup sweet pepper (bell – different colors)
1 cup broccoli
1 cup celery
2 small chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 table spoon vegetable oil (see note below)

For the sauce….

2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soya sauce

* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Notes: Try to cut all the vegetables the same size for uniform cooking. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoon veg oil, but after cooking the chicken you may need to add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pot. Depending on how seasoned your wok is or if you’re using a non stick pan or not. I used a Guyanese style chow mein noodle (egg), which I found in the local West Indian store. I cooked the noodle according to the directions on the package, but I did cut the recommended cooking time by half as I knew I was going to cook it a bit further in the main lo mein pot and I didn’t want it to go soggy.

Start by preparing all the vegetables (wash – chop) and also slice the chicken into very thin slices, wash, dry and get ready to cook.

Heat your wok or large non-stick pot on med/high heat and add the vegetable oil. Now add the slices of chicken and cook for about 4 minutes. Remember to keep stirring so it cooks evenly. Now turn down the heat and remove the pieces of chicken and set aside. At this time you should also cook your egg noodles, drain and allow to cool.

If your wok is dry, do add a bit more oil and get ready to continue cooking. Turn the heat back up to med/high and add the onion, garlic (grated) and grated ginger to the pot. Allow that to cook for a minute or two to release all it’s wonderful flavors.

Now add the carrots (remember to slice/chop everything thin so it cooks fast), bell peppers, hot pepper, celery, broccoli and salt. Stir and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Then in a small bowl combine the oyster, soya and hoisin sauces.. then add to the wok and stir. Now add back the pieces of cooked chicken.

Stir in the chopped pak choi and allow to cook for another minute before adding the cooked egg noodles. Give this a good stir to coat everything with the different sauces we added moments ago.

As you can tell, this dish cooks very fast so it’s important to have everything prepped and handy. Now top with the chopped scallions and bean sprouts and cook for a minute. Remember to keep stirring.

I know I didn’t mention this in the ingredient list (but it’s in the main pic above), but feel free to top the dish with about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil for a bright finish and to add another layer of flavor. I’m not a huge fan of sesame oil, so I only added a small amount.. but you can obviously add more if you wish. Remember to also check for salt and adjust accordingly.

This is a quick and absolutely wonderful dish you must try. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for the Chinese influence on Caribbean cuisine, as I must admit that I have a weakness for Chinese food… especially the way we make it in the Caribbean. Once you’ve had Caribbean style Chinese food, you’ll know what I mean.

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.

trini chinese food

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Shrimp.

Oven Soy Sauce Fried Chicken.

Delicious Chinese Influenced Green Beans With Chicken.

Chicken Fried Rice.

Caribbean Inspired Chicken Lo Mein.

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