guyanese curry

Pumpkin and shrimp are two things mom struggled to get us to eat as kids, but as an adult I can’t get enough. Looking back I wish I had started eating pumpkin from a younger age as the pumpkins mom would use came directly from the small garden we had at the back of our home in rural Trinidad. Grown organically and under the brilliant Caribbean sun… I still recall mom commenting “gosh this pumpkin cook real gud” every time she made a pumpkin dish.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs pumpkin (butternut squash will work also)
1/2 lb shrimp (med, cleaned and deveined)
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon water
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (no seeds)

Edit! : Forgot to add the curry powder in the list. 1 Heaping Tablespoon Curry Powder (more to your liking)

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, which can have flour as a filler at times.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp. Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt and black pepper. Allow the seasoned shrimp to marinate for 10 minutes as you peel and cube the pumpkin.

In a deep saucepan, heat the oil on a low flame and add the diced (or crushed) garlic, then go in with the curry powder (I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean) and stir well. Cook on VERY low for 3-5 minutes. It will go darker and grainy.. this step will cook off the ‘raw’ curry taste and bloom the spices which makes up a good curry blend. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and stir well at this point as well.

Toss in the seasoned shrimp, turn up the heat to med/high and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Coat with the curry base. then remove the shrimp and set aside. We’ll finishing cooking them later. In the same bowl you seasoned the shrimp add a couple table spoons of water and stir, then add to the pot. This will deglave the pan and allow the pumpkin to coat with the curry easier.

It’s now time to add the cubed pumpkin to the pot and stir well to coat with the curry that’s still in the pot.

Place the lid on the pan and bring to a boil. The pumpkin will naturally sprout it’s own natural juices. Once it starts boiling, add the brown sugar, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes – stir every 5 minutes or so. (lid on)

If you wanted you could add any of your fav herbs and some diced onion to the pot for additional flavor. Remove the lid and using the back of your spoon.. crush the pumpkin so it becomes more smooth. Yes, it should be soft at this point. It’s now time to burn off the extra liquid, so crank up the heat and cook for a few minutes.

As most of the liquid burns off, you can now add back the shrimp and stir well. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly as your salt appreciation will be different than mine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and you’re done.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin, especially with a pile of piping hot buss up shut roti and a side of kuchela! If you wanted to do this recipe fully vegan, you can always leave out the shrimp and add the pumpkin when I added the shrimp.. add a bit of coconut milk for extra flavor.

Coconut Curry Venison (deer).

May 28, 2025April 6, 2016Leave a Comment

Any sort of game, including deer (venison) is what we call “wild meat” in the Caribbean and for the most part it’s a sort of cherished delicacy, especially around Christmas and Carnival time. I have very fond childhood memories of going hunting with my brother and dad and into my early teens we would venture out with my friends. Though I went to school in San Fernando (city), most of my spare time was spent in the country side of Guaracara, so you’d find that I’m an outdoors person at heart.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs Venison
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 slices ginger
1 tomato
1/2 small onion
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 scallion (chopped)
3 sprigs thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 allspice berries
Cilantro or Shado Beni garnish

IMPORTANT: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients (especially the curry powder which could have flour as a filler) to ensure everything meets with your gluten free dietary needs.

Have your butcher cut the venison into 1 inch pieces and if there’s bones, please include it as it adds wonderful flavors to the finished curry. Wash with lemon or lime juice (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and water and drain. Then season with the tomato, salt, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of curry powder, Caribbean Green Seasoning, scallion and scotch bonnet pepper. You can leave out the seeds of the pepper to help control the heat level and remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling. Please allow this to marinate for a couple hours or overnight in the fridge.

Heat the vegetable oil on a medium heat in a heavy pot, then add the diced onion and garlic and cook on LOW for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the curry powder and continue cooking on LOW for another 3-5 minutes. This will toast the spices which makes up the curry blend and also cook off any raw flavors of the curry you could potentially get when the dish is finished cooking.

Now turn up the heat to high and start adding the seasoned/marinated pieces of venison. Yes, it’s ok if the marinade going into the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil.. it will spring it’s own juices and add the ginger and thyme. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and let it go for about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and crank up the heat to high to burn off all that liquid. This step will help to infuse the meat with that rich curry goodness. In the same bowl you marinated the pieces of deer, swish around the 1/2 cup of water to pick up any remaining marinade.

After all the liquid is burnt off it’s time to pour in that water, the coconut milk and all spice berries and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook until tender. It can take between 2.5 and 3 hrs to get fall-off-the-bone tender. After 2.5 hrs it’s time personalize things a bit… cook longer if you want it more tender, adjust the salt and crank up the heat to get the gravy to the consistency you like. If you find that while cooking you’re out of liquid, you can always add a bit more water.

Turn off the stove and top with the chopped shado beni (culantro) or cilantro. You now have a brilliant rich curry using “wild meat”! The funny thing about hunting as a kid on the islands is that for the most part we were hardly ever successful, but that adventure was so much fun.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Pork With String Beans.

May 27, 2025January 27, 2016Leave a Comment

I may have mentioned before that while growing up on the islands mom never made any sort of curry dishes with pork, so I credit my aunt Victoria (I speak about her in my book) for passing the basics of this recipe on to me, when I lived with her during my early years in Canada. Her version included a bit more cooking (I like my beans with a slight crunch) and a little heavier on the curry, so this version of curry pork with green beans is personalized to my liking.

You’ll Need…

1 lb pork (cubed)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot (or small onion)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato (diced)
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cups water
1 1/2 lbs green beans (trimmed)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure the meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs – especially the curry powder which could contain flour as a filler.

Start but cutting the pork (use a cheap cut with a bit of marbling) into 1 inch pieces, wash (with lemon or lime juice and water – not mentioned in the ingredient list) and drain. Now season with the salt, black pepper, tomato, Caribbean green seasoning, ketchup, grated ginger and scotch bonnet pepper (don’t use any seeds nor white membrane surrounding the seeds – that’s where it’s most hot). Stir well and allow to marinate for an hour or two.

It’s now time to heat the oil in a pan (I like using a non stick pan when cooking curry so I can use less oil) on low heat, then go in with the crushed garlic and sliced shallot. Cook on low for 3 minutes, then add the curry powder and cook another 4 minutes. This will toast the spices which makes up a curry blend and allow for a wicked base of flavors.

Turn up the heat to medium/high and add the marinated pieces of pork. Yes, it’s ok if the marinade goes into the pan as well. Stir well, turn down to medium, lid closed and cook for 10 minutes. It will spring its own natural juices. Stir every 3-4 minutes.

As the pork cooks, you can trim your beans (use french beans, string beans or bodi aka yard beans if you wish).. trim off the ends (discard) and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces.

To infuse the pieces of pork with that lovely curry flavor, it’s now time to remove the lid, turn up the heat and burn off all accumulated liquid.

In the same bowl you marinated the pork, add the two cups of water to pick up any remaining marinade. Now add that water to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer/rolling boil and cook for 25 minutes (lid slightly ajar).

At this point you should add the beans of choice and stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes (as mentioned I like my beans with a bit of texture) or until the beans are tender to your liking. If you’re using bodi it may take a bit longer to cook.

You can cook off any remaining liquid, but I usually like the bit of gravy to go with my hot steamed rice or sada roti. Remember to taste for salt and adjust according as I find the salt we seasoned the pork with is enough for my liking. To add a bit of color to the dish you can add a bit of diced tomatoes after you turn off the stove – the residual heat will warm that through nicely.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Chicken With Chickpeas & Potato (channa and aloo).

May 27, 2025July 10, 201513 Comments

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.

Meat & Poultry

The Simplest Oven Curry Goat Recipe.

May 28, 2025April 5, 201427 Comments

If you’re looking for a quick and tasty way to prepare curry goat with a Caribbean signature, look no further. I remember my aunt starting her curry goat on the stove top, then the last couple hours she would place it in the oven to slowly do it’s thing in the oven. Falling off the bone tender and infused with from the slow braising process of cooking the curry in the oven… pour over some steamed rice and boy I tell you. Pure niceness!

In this version we’ll marinate the goat pieces in a classic Caribbean marinade for a few hours, then everything goes into an oven-proof container in the oven for the magic to happen.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs goat *
4 med potatoes (1/4’s)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
2 slices ginger
1 seasoning pepper (pimento pepper)
1 medium onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 scallion (chopped)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
4 bird’s eye pepper (or 1/4 scotch bonnet)
1/4 teaspoon allspice

* I like using goat meat with bones as I find there’s more flavor, especially when doing a curry and it’s much cheaper at the butcher than boneless. Just make sure to ask the butcher to cut it for you with their electric saw. Curry traditionalists will argue that you need to cook (fry the curry) so you don’t get that raw curry taste. But the 3 hours of braising will take care of that in a delicious way.

Wash, rinse and drain the goat meat, then season with everything mentioned above except the coconut milk, water, bird’s eye pepper and potatoes. Click “Caribbean Green Seasoning” for the recipe for this wonderful base to many Caribbean dishes. Allow this seasoned goat meat to marinate in the fridge (cover with plastic wrap) for at least a couple hrs (overnight is best).

Preheat your oven at 375 F. As it comes to temperature, place the seasoned goat in an oven-proof container with a lid and add the other ingredients. Do not break the bird’s eye peppers as we want the flavor without the raw heat. Place on the middle rack in the oven (covered) and let it slowly braise for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Remember to cut the potatoes in big pieces so they won’t melt away while cooking. After 2.5 hrs, taste for salt and here’s where you can remove the bird’s eye peppers or break them if you want some wicked heat. If you find that the gravy is overly thin, you can leave it uncovered the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Top with some chopped shado beni (culantro), cilantro or parsley and some diced tomato to give it some added color.. after taking it out of the oven.

Here’s one of those classic Caribbean curry dishes where you can actually place it in the oven and go about doing other things at home and have a wicked main course for dinner. I’m sure you can do the same in a slow cooker as well, but you may just need to add more time to get it fully tender and infused with that wonderful curry goodness. If you want to make this dish stretch you can add more potatoes, carrots and diced celery (a bit more cooking liquid and salt will be required as well).

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.

Curry Shrimp With Pumpkin.

Coconut Curry Venison (deer).

Curry Pork With String Beans.

Curry Chicken With Chickpeas & Potato (channa and aloo).

The Simplest Oven Curry Goat Recipe.

The Ultimate Curry Turkey Necks Recipe.

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