trinidad curry chicken Archives

Simply Delicious 20 Minute Curry Chicken.

April 9, 2026February 3, 20241 Comment

There’s something deeply comforting about a pot of easy curry chicken simmering on the stove, filling the kitchen with warm, aromatic spices and rich Caribbean flavor. This Simply Delicious 20 Minute Curry Chicken is my refreshed take on a recipe I first shared years ago, and it remains one of the most satisfying ways to get a bold, home-cooked meal on the table in no time.

This easy curry chicken is the kind of meal I’d make for my daughters on those long, busy days when energy was low, but my heart still wanted to give them something warm and meaningful. As the curry gently bubbled away, the kitchen would come alive with that familiar aroma, wrapping around us like comfort itself. It wasn’t just about getting dinner on the table, it was about giving them a piece of home, something steady and loving they could feel with every bite.

There’s a quiet kind of love in a dish like this. The way the spices bloom in the oil, releasing their deep, fragrant notes. The way the chicken slowly absorbs that golden curry, becoming tender, rich, and full of flavor. It’s simple, yes, but deeply satisfying. The kind of easy curry chicken that draws everyone closer, where even the silence at the table feels full.

What I love most about this easy curry chicken is how quickly it comes together without sacrificing authenticity. It’s rooted in traditional Trinbago cooking, yet flexible enough to suit your kitchen and your taste. Whether you’re cooking for family or just craving something soulful, this dish delivers comfort, flavor, and a sense of home in every spoonful.

Ingredient Guide

Boneless chicken (dark meat) Provides juicy, tender pieces that absorb the curry beautifully and remain succulent during quick cooking.
Olive oil Acts as the base for sautéing and helps bloom the spices for deeper flavor.
Onion Builds the foundational sweetness and aroma essential to Caribbean curry dishes.
Garlic Adds depth, warmth, and a slightly pungent richness to the curry base.
Tomato Introduces a gentle acidity and body to the sauce.
Black pepper Enhances the overall spice profile with subtle heat.
Scotch bonnet pepper Brings authentic Caribbean heat and a fruity undertone.
Ground roasted cumin (geera) Adds a nutty, earthy flavor that defines Trinbago-style curry.
Caribbean Green Seasoning Infuses the dish with fresh herbs and layered island flavor.
Curry powder The star spice blend that gives the dish its signature color, aroma, and taste.
Anchar Masala Adds a tangy, spiced complexity unique to Caribbean curry dishes.
Salt Balances and enhances all the flavors.
Water Forms the gravy and allows the chicken to simmer and absorb flavor.
Shado Beni (culantro) Finishes the dish with a bold, herbal brightness.

Shopping Made Easy

Look for boneless chicken thighs and legs for the best flavor and tenderness.
Caribbean Green Seasoning can be found pre-made at Caribbean grocery stores or easily blended at home.
Scotch bonnet peppers are available in Caribbean or international markets, but habanero can be used as a substitute.
Shado Beni may be labeled as culantro in Latin or Caribbean stores.
Anchar Masala is typically found in Caribbean spice sections or specialty markets.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

Maintaining steady heat is key to developing the rich curry base quickly without burning the spices.
Allow the curry powder to cook in the oil long enough to remove any raw taste and deepen the flavor.
Dark meat chicken is preferred for its ability to stay juicy and flavorful in a quick curry.
Adjust the Scotch bonnet to control the heat level without losing the signature Caribbean character.
The sauce will naturally thicken as it cools, so avoid over-reducing during cooking.

Simply Delicious 20 Minute Curry Chicken

A quick and easy curry chicken recipe made with Caribbean spices, tender boneless chicken, and a rich, flavorful gravy perfect for busy weeknights and comforting family meals.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Course Caribbean Classics, Chicken Recipes, Comfort Food, Easy Caribbean Recipes, Side Dish, Weeknight Dinners

Cuisine General Caribbean

Servings

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless chicken cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
6 –8 cloves garlic smashed
1 medium tomato diced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large scotch bonnet pepper sliced
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin geera
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Anchar Masala
3/4 teaspoon salt adjust
2 cups water
2 tablespoon chadon beni chopped

Instructions

Wash the chicken with cool water and the juice of a lemon, lime, or vinegar if desired, then drain and pat dry. IMPORTANT! It's part of my Caribbean heritage to wash meats before using, if this does not sit well with you, please skip this step (safety reasons).
Heat the olive oil (use any oil you prefer) in a heavy pan on medium heat, keeping a steady flame for this easy curry chicken.
Add the onion, garlic, tomato, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Scotch bonnet pepper, black pepper, and roasted geera. Cook for 2 minutes, allowing the base to become fragrant and deeply aromatic. The gently sizzle of the action in the pot, along with the fragrance of it all happening, will fill your kitchen with a comforting hug.
Add the curry powder and Anchar Masala and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes to fully develop the flavor of this easy curry chicken base. We're blooming the spices which makes up a curry powder.
Add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat evenly in the curry. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the chicken to take on that rich color and flavor.
Add the salt and water, bring to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is tender and the easy curry chicken gravy forms.
Taste and adjust salt, and check the consistency of the sauce to your liking. Keep in mind that the sauce or gravy will thicken as the curry cools.
Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped shado beni (aka culantro). Cilantro is a suitable replacement for culantro. Typically, I'd serve this with hot Sada Roti, my Easy Coconut Rice, or the Dry Pigeon Peas Rice.

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make this easy curry chicken less spicy?
You can reduce or remove the Scotch bonnet pepper. This keeps the dish flavorful while making the easy curry chicken milder.

Can I use chicken breast in this easy curry chicken?
Yes, chicken breast works well, but be mindful not to overcook it as it can dry out faster than dark meat.

What makes this an authentic curry chicken?
The use of Caribbean Green Seasoning, roasted geera, and Anchar Masala gives this easy curry chicken its traditional Trinbago flavor.

Can I add coconut milk to this easy curry chicken?
Yes, coconut milk will add richness and a slightly creamy texture while still keeping the dish simple and delicious.

What should I serve with easy curry chicken?
This easy curry chicken pairs well with rice, roti, or boiled ground provisions for a complete meal.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How To Get A Rich Thick Curry Chicken Gravy.

May 27, 2025October 18, 2023Leave a Comment

Over the years I’ve shared many curry recipes, including ones where the main ingredient is poultry of some sort. However I’ve never addressed the mélange of struggles people tend to have in achieving a lovely thick sauce or gravy. This is NOT a Curry Chicken Recipe, but the focus is, getting you that ultimate curry sauce with your curry chicken.

May I recommend that you watch the video below to follow along, as the complete cooking of the curry chicken is covered and should you want a specific Curry Chicken Recipe << Click!

Season and marinate the chicken as you normally would.

On a medium flame, heat your oil (about 2 – 3 tablespoons) then add diced onion (large), garlic (9-12 cloves), 3 Pimento Peppers (diced) and 1 teaspoon black pepper. After a couple minutes, add a tablespoon of Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir well.

Once the onion is soft (about 4 minutes), add your favorite curry powder and cook for a further 3 minutes. In my case I added 3 tablespoons of curry. Be sure to stir so nothing burns. See the video where I share a tip on how to cut back on the amount of oil to use.

That step will bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder. With your heat still on medium, add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. This step is to cook out the ‘rawness’ of the curry.

Add 2 medium tomatoes diced, along with 2 scallions diced. Should you want to make the Curry Chicken SPICY, add your fav hot pepper. I added a Scotch Bonnet pepper.

As this cooks down, add 1 tablespoon of Anchar Masala (see your local or online West Indian supermarket). If you can’t source Anchar Masala, add Garam Masala or extra geera (ground roasted cumin).

The goal now is to burn off all the liquid to created a thick slurry. In the video I explained that you’ll need for it to go until you can see the oil we started with and you can path the curry slurry with your spoon or spatula.

It’s now time to turn up the heat to medium high and start adding your seasoned and marinated chicken to the pot. Stir well! While this will work with white and/or boneless chicken, I get he best results with dark bone-in chicken (leg and thigh).

Bring to a boil (yes it will spring it’s own juices), cover the pot, reduce the heat to med/low and cook for 7-10 minutes.

At this point, add 1 1/2 cups of water (add more if you want even more gravy) and bring back to a boil to finish cooking the chicken. Medium low heat will ensure you have a steady bubble. FYI.. When I marinated my seasoned chicken I included salt.

After about 8 minutes after adding the additional water, I added chopped Shado Beni and 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (geera).

Time to personalize things. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking, make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through and decide if the sauce/gravy is to thick enough for you. Do keep in mind that it will thicken further as it cools. If you find that it’s runny, turn up the heat, lid off and cook further.

Tip! Try to use a heavy iron or glazed enamel pot, which will evenly distribute the heat.

By starting with the creation of the thick slurry at the start, you’re guaranteed to have a lovely curry sauce at the end.

Curry-Stew Chicken With Pigeon Peas And Potato.

May 27, 2025June 20, 20232 Comments

Yet another classic recipe from my childhood days growing up on the islands. Curry-Stewed Chicken with Pigeon peas (which were freshly picked / shelled) and potato, which was usually made when mom didn’t have a lot of chicken and needed to feed everyone.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs Chicken thighs (skin and fat removed)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1 medium onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
4 Wiri Wiri peppers
6 cloves garlic + 1 tablespoon grated ginger
4 medium potato (1/4s)
1 can Pigeon peas (about 1 1/2 cups – rinsed)
4 cups water
2 tablespoon chopped parsely

Note! Feel free to use any spicy pepper and in the amounts you can handle, especially if you cannot source the wiri wiri peppers. The spicy pepper is optional. Please watch the video below to follow along, especially when it comes to ‘browning’ the chicken which can be a bit tricky.

Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, tomato, onion and curry powder. Mix well and if you have time, allow it to marinate for a couple hours or over-night.

Heat a heavy deep pot on a high heat, add the oil followed by the brown sugar (watch the video below) and stir. The sugar will melt, go frothy and then a deep caramel color. At this point, add the seasoned chicken to the pot and stir well to coat. If the melted sugar goes black, STOP! Allow the pot to cool completely, wash, dry and start over, or you’ll end up with BITTER tasting chicken.

Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pot. It will come up to a boil and in doing so natural juices from the chicken will sprout. Cook for 4-5 minutes with the lid on.

You may peel your potatoes at this point and give the can of pigeon peas a rinse with cool water.

In the same bowl where you seasoned/marinated the chicken, swish around the 4 cups or water to pick up any remaining marinade in the bowl – set aside.

Remove the lid off the pot, turn up the heat and burn off the liquid. This will intensify the color and flavor of the curry-stew. Once the liquid is gone, add the potato, garlic, pigeon peas, wiri wiri peppers, grated ginger and water. Stir will.. scrape the bottom of the pot as well. Bring to a boil.

Depending on the size of the chicken thigh you use and how large the potato pieces are, it will take between 15 and 20 minutes to be cooked thoroughly. I cooked it with the lid on but slightly ajar and on a medium/low flame. Here is where you will decided on a few things. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking and continue cooking to thicken the gravy so it’s not too runny (unless you strangely enjoy thin gravy). In this case, I cooked it for a further 5 minutes with the lid off. I also used the back of the cooking spoon to crush some pieces of the potato to help thicken the gravy.

Do keep in mind that after you turn off the stove it will further thicken as it cools (residual heat from the pot). Toss in the chopped parsley and you’re done. A classic Caribbean dish (Trinidad and Tobago), usually served with roti or rice. You’ll notice that I posted this recipe under “Gluten Free”, but it’s important that you go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific Gluten Free dietary needs. (Read the label of the curry powder you use, some contain fillers).

Incredible Curry Chicken Breast.

May 27, 2025January 3, 20224 Comments

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/

Incredible Caribbean Curry Chicken With Potato.

May 27, 2025November 14, 20215 Comments

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/

The Ultimate Masala Chicken.

May 27, 2025November 20, 2020Leave a Comment

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/

The Ultimate 5 Alarm Curry Chicken Recipe.

May 27, 2025April 22, 20191 Comment

There’s something very WRONG about a Curry Chicken which is not spicy (IMHO). However what we’re about to make here is simply insane when it comes to raw heat.. so be warned. With an abundance of hot peppers in my garden and with my luv for spicy foods, I thought I’d share what I call my 5 Alarm Curry Chicken recipe with you. Packed with deep flavors of a good curry and the added heat from organically grown peppers, this curry chicken is absolutely delicious.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs Chicken (cut into pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small onion (diced)
3-4 cloves garlic (diced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 large tomato (diced)
2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 habanero peppers (sliced)
2 scotch bonnet peppers (sliced)
1 fatali pepper (sliced)
4 dried cayenne peppers
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoon Curry powder
2-3 Carolina Reapers (cut in half)
1 cup water
1 scallion (chopped)
3-4 leaves shado beni (optional – chopped)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (chopped)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to 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 a some may have flour as a filler.

Let’s start by seasoning the cleaned chicken (I used legs and thighs which I cut into small pieces .. remove the skin and fat as best you can). Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, followed by the salt, black pepper, tomato, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Habanero peppers, scotch bonnet peppers and Fatali pepper. I included the seeds of the pepper as I wanted the raw heat. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 1 hr in the fridge.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot (I used a cast iron pot) on a medium heat, then go in with the onion and garlic.. turn the heat down to as low as it will go and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Then add the dried cayenne peppers along with the coriander and cumin seeds. Heat still on low, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

It’s now time to add your favorite curry powder. I have a blend I make, which is based on the Madras curry blend. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the rawness of the curry is cooked out… it gets darker in color and the spices which makes up a good curry powder is allowed to bloom. You may need to add a bit more vegetable oil.

It’s now time to crank up the heat to high and add the seasoned chicken to the pot. Stir well to coat in the curry base we created. Yes, it’s fine if the marinade goes into the pot as well. In the same bowl you marinated the chicken, swish around the cup of water to pick up any remaining marinade and set aside for use shortly.

Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes. At this point you may add the remaining Carolina peppers (if you so desire using) It will spring it’s own natural juices. Now remove the lid off the pot and take the heat up a bit to burn off any liquid in the pot. This step will intensify the curry flavor onto the chicken pieces. Be sure to have the fan above your stove on or at least open your kitchen window or risk being choked by the strong peppers.

When you can see the vegetable oil we started off with at the bottom of the pan, you may now add the water, along with he scallions and shado beni. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes.

The gravy should be somewhat thick at the point (it will thicken with the residual heat of the pot as it cools) and the chicken fully cooked (depending on how large pieces you used). Taste for salt (adjust) and top with the chopped cilantro.

There’s no mistaking that this is a very SPICY curry chicken dish and to be honest, not for most people. However if heat is your thing, you’ll love this 5 Alarm Curry Chicken dish. You can certainly add more or remove some peppers or play with different varieties of peppers if you wish.

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

Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe.

May 27, 2025January 26, 20187 Comments

As you make your way across the Caribbean you’ll encounter different methods of cooking curry dishes, influenced by one’s own preference and family traditions. A prime example is my way of cooking coconut curry chicken.. as I’m about to share. My technique and ingredients will differently differ from other recipes you’ll see… even the way I’d see my mom and grandma make their version. Coincidentally I don’t recall mom using coconut in curry chicken, unless it was a tough chicken (we say yard fowl), where the use of the coconut acted as a tenderizer.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs chicken (cut into small pieces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
4 sprigs thyme
2-3 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/3 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 cardamom pods
1 cup water
4-6 grape tomatoes (optional)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.. especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filler. Also, I used dark/bone pieces of chicken, but this recipe will work just as great with chicken breast.

Season the clean chicken with everything except the oil, coconut milk, curry powder, onion, garlic, cardamom, tomato, cilantro and water. Allow it to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Heat the vegetable oil (coconut oil will be perfect too) on a medium flame then reduce to low and add the diced onion and smashed garlic. Cook for 3 minutes on low. Then add the cardamom and cook another minute or so. Next up add the curry powder (still on low) and stir well. Cook on low to cook off the raw curry taste and to bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder. It will go darker, clump and your kitchen will have a lovely scent of curry.

Now add the coconut milk, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a med/high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes. The goal is to cook off the liquid and really intensify the coconut flavor. You should end up with a thick base, with hints of the oil you started off with (plus oil from the coconut milk). Stir well as the natural sugars will want to stick/burn.

Here’s where you’ll now add the seasoned chicken and stir well. It’s ok if the marinade goes in as well. The goal here (high heat) is to coat and sear the pieces of chicken with the coconut curry base. Add the water to the same bowl you marinated the chicken in and stir to pick up any marinade left back. Cook the chicken for 7-10 minutes or until you’ve burned off any liquid it may have sprouted naturally.

In the image above you’ll notice that I added an entire scotch bonnet pepper as I like this dish very spicy.. adjust to your own liking. Also remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such spicy peppers. After the chicken is full seared/coated and you don’t have any liquid in the pot (this step was to infuse the chicken with the coconut curry flavors) it’s now time to add the water and stir well. This step is to fully cook the chicken and develop a thick gravy.

Bring to a rolling boil, cover the pot slightly ajar and cook for another 15 minutes. Then here’s where you personalize things. Taste for salt /adjust and cook until you get the desired thickness you like your gravy. For me this was perfect at this point as I knew it would thicken as it cools. Add the chopped cilantro and tomato (use shado benin/culantro if you have) and turn off the stove.

Please watch the video below to further assist in perfecting this coconut curry chicken. Some of you may question my use of ketchup and tomatoes.. both brings their own flavor and uniqueness, especially a bit of acidity in helping to balance things. BTW- tomato is very natural (and important) in cooking curry chicken when it originated.

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

Classic Coconut Curry Chicken With String Beans.

May 27, 2025August 7, 201314 Comments

This is a delightful dish our mom would prepare whenever there was leftover chicken from the day before (usually on a Monday). She would curry the beans and the last 5 minutes or so add in the chicken pieces for the perfect accompaniment for boiled rice or hot roti off the tawa. In this version I’ll do things a little different by doing the curry chicken base first, then we’ll add the trimmed beans and simmer it all in some coconut milk.

You’ll Need…

1.5 lbs chicken thighs
1 lb string beans
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon veg oil
1.5 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon amchar massala (optional)
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic
5 birds eye pepper (aka bird pepper)
1 cup coconut milk

Notes. I used a madras curry blend (made in the Caribbean). The chicken thighs were deboned, but feel free to use bone-in (about 2lbs).. cook a little longer. Do NOT cut the peppers, simply remove the stems and use whole. We’ll get some flavor from them, without the raw heat. 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.

Cut the chicken into 1 -2 inch pieces, wash and drain. Then season with the salt, black pepper, green seasoning and amchar massala (you can also use ground roasted geera – cumin) and allow to marinate for about 1 hour. In the meantime you can trim the string beans (simply cut off the tips and cut into 2 inch pieces).

Heat the oil in a fairly large pan on med-high, then add the chopped shallot (you can also use onion) and garlic and turn the heat down to low. Cook this gently for about 3 minutes. Then add the curry powder and stir well. Cook for a further 3 minutes to get the raw curry taste out. It will go darker in colour and go a bit grainy.

Now add the peppers (do not break them unless you want the heat) and cook for about 30 seconds, then add in the seasoned chicken and mix well to deglaze the pan and to coat the chicken pieces with the lovely curry base we created.

Turn the heat up to medium/high and cook the chicken with the lid uncovered for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the trimmed beans and coconut milk (remember to give it a good stir) and bring to a boil. Place the lid on the pan and cook for about 10 minutes (depending on how well you like your beans cooked) on a simmer (so lower the heat).

Remove the lid and time to finish off the dish. You check for salt at this point (adjust accordingly) and you can also personalize the dish at this point. Depending if you want gravy or not, you can now turn up the heat and burn off all the remaining liquid. OPTIONAL: Toss in a few cherry tomatoes, turn off the heat and place the lid back on. The residual heat will soften the tomatoes so it does not go to mush and really give the dish some colour.

This is a dish Tehya simply craves (me too) and it’s a great way to get children eating vegetables. But please try to not overcook the beans as it will take on a soggy texture and loose it’s bright 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.

Ultimate Curry Chicken?

May 27, 2025January 8, 201047 Comments

A few months back I came across a wonderful video online of a fellow Trinbagonian living in the US who created a cooking video called “The Ultimate Curry Chicken” and though his method and ingredients of cooking curry chicken was a bit different than mine, I’m sure it was just as tasty. If you’ve watched my introduction video (click on “About” above) you’ll know that curry is not one of the things we grew up on and only years later when I moved to Canada and lived with my aunt, did I really start eating it. Don’t get me wrong, our mom is an excellent cook when it comes to anything curry, it’s just we didn’t have it as often. I’ve been lucky enough to have my mom close (about 1 hour away) the past few years, so over this time I’ve taken her recipe and made some slight changes to call it my own. BTW if you’re in the Toronto area and you’re looking to have some food catered (Trini dishes), be sure to contact me and I’ll not only get you some amazing food, but I’ll even hook you up with a nice discount. I’m not in the catering business, but my sister is and it seems she’s doing an amazing job with the rate her business is growing.

You’ll Need…

3 Lbs Chicken
3/4 tablespoon salt
dash black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (scotch bonnet, habanero or any hot pepper you like) *Optional.
heaping tablespoon curry powder (madras)
1/4 teaspoon roasted Geera (powder)
1 medium tomato diced
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 teaspoon green seasoning mix
2 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons water (to cook curry)
1 scallion
Shado beni (see note below)

* I usually use dark meat (with bones) when cooking curry as I find that the overall taste of the finished dish is more tasty. However the recipe works just as well with white meat (may be a bit dry though)

* Since shado beni is not readily available to us in the city where I live (and I can’t grow it) I usually get some shipped to me and immediately after I get it, it goes into my freezer. Then whenever I’m cooking I break off a few leaves to add to my dish. So if you can get access to some at your local store, remember that freezing is also an option if you get a large package. I also find that the frozen leaves holds more flavour than if you were to puree the leaves as we do with green seasoning mix.

* If you don’t have the green seasoning the recipe calls for, feel free to use about a tablespoon of each of the following (chopped):
– cilantro
– thyme
– shallots
* Spanish thyme would also be a good addition if you can get access to it.

* In the recipe you notice that I cooked the frozen shado beni with the onions before adding the curry. If you’re using fresh shado beni you’ll get better results if you season the chicken with it, rather than cooking it as I did. If you don’t have any shado beni, you can also substitute cilantro for it (add about 2-3 tablespoon chopped to the seasoned chicken)

I got a package of chicken legs with back attached, so this means I had to cut it into serving size pieces before I could get started. After I cut the chicken into pieces it was placed in a bowl with some water and the juice of the lime (see ingredients above) to be washed. I then drained out the water and squeezed it as dry as I could.

The next step is to season the chicken and allow it to marinate for a couple hours. Add the salt, black pepper, tomato, green seasoning, and scallion (chopped) to the bowl with the chicken and stir so everything gets coated.

After it’s been marinating for a couple hrs, it’s time to start cooking. In a fairly large pan, heat the oil (2 tablespoon) on high heat and get prepared to add the sliced onions, garlic and hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a few minutes until the onions go soft and start to go a bit brown. I then turn the heat to medium and add a few leaves of the frozen shado beni to the pot followed by the curry and geera (cumin) and stir. You may notice that the pot is “dry”, this is when I add another tablespoon of oil to the pot so nothing sticks. The next step is to add the 6 tablespoons of water, turn the heat down and allow this to cook for a couple minutes. This will bring out the true aroma of the curry.

As the liquid burns off it’s time to start adding the pieces of seasoned chicken to the pot. Turn the heat back up to high and stir each piece so it get’s in contact with the cooked curry. After you’ve added all the seasoned chicken, turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

You’ll notice that the chicken will spring it’s own juices, so after 15 minutes remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. We’ll now burn off that liquid. As the liquid burns off from the pot (make sure you keep stirring) you’ll see nothing but a bit of oil at the bottom with a sort of curry paste (this is the good stuff).

In the same bowl you seasoned the chicken add the 1 1/2 cups of water so we can pick up any remaining seasoning that was left behind. Now add the water from the bowl to the pot to continue the cooking process.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer with the pot covered (stir occasionally). After 20 minutes, remove the cover and check the sauce or gravy to see if it’s the consistency you like. Usually I have to turn the heat up a bit to reduce the curry sauce as I like it a bit thick.

I’m sure many of you may have a different way of making curry chicken or as our friends from Guyana say “chicken curry” , so I encourage you to share you method with us in the comments box below this post. Don’t forget to also join us on facebook below:

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