shrimp curry

Baigan and Aloo (eggplant cooked with potato) was one of my favorite things to eat as a kid growing up on the islands.. except when mom would put saltfish (salted cod) in it. According to her (my adult self agrees 100%) makes it more ‘sweet’ (tasty) and though mom never made this dish with shrimp, it’s now one of my go-to recipes when I’m homesick. Granted it’s not a ‘pretty’ dish, but I assure it you’ll fall in love with it.

You’ll Need…

2 medium eggplant (peeled and cubed)
1 lb shrimp (16-20) * Smaller will work best
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 Birds Eye Pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 small potatoes (cubed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups water
6-8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you choose to use as there are some brands which use flour in their curry as a filler. Also note that while we did season the shrimp with a tiny bit of curry powder, technically this is NOT curry baigan wand aloo.

Peel and cube the eggplant and potato and set aside (keep the eggplant/potato in water to prevent it from going discolored) Season the washed (peeled and deveined) shrimp with the curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 of the salt and the Caribbean Green Seasoning.. mix well. Then heat 1 tablespoon of veg oil in a wide saucepan on a medium heat.

Toss in the seasoned shrimp, stir well and cook for 1- 1.5 minutes, then remove and set aside for later. In the same pot add the renaming tablespoon of vegetable oil and go in with the onion. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic along with the Bird’s Eye pepper and cook on low for a further minute.

Unless you want the dish spicy (like I do) try not to break the peppers or you will release it’s fury. After which it’s time to add the cubed potato followed by the eggplant.

Turn up the heat to medium high, stir well to pick up the shrimp flavor from the start, then go in with the water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the remaining salt and cover the pot. After 20 minutes, crank up the heat to medium and put the lid slightly ajar. We’re trying to burn off most of the liquid while making the potato tender and fully cook the eggplant.

After 5 minutes or so you can now remove the lid completely, add the tomatoes and parsley, stir and taste for salt. Adjust to your liking.. as mentioned in the video, I’m trying to cut back on the amount of salt I use. Finally it’s time to add the precooked shrimp to the pot, stir well and turn off the stove / cover the pot. Let the residual heat finish cooking the shrimp fully. Remove the peppers at the point if you wish.

If you find that you have too much liquid near the end, you can use the back of your spoon to crush a few pieces f the potato. Do keep in mind that this dish will thicken as it cools. I ate mine with hot roti, so I needed a little gravy.. so it may look a bit runny in the picture.

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

Seafood

5 Tips To Cooking Perfect Curry Shrimp.

May 28, 2025June 12, 20174 Comments

I had a recent request via Instagram asking for tips on cooking curry shrimp. According to the person who contacted me, they encounter over-cooked and bland shrimp every time they give it a go in the kitchen. It got to the point where they’ve now given up on ever cooking curry shrimp again. I can assure you that if you also encounter this problem, you’re not alone. Experience also tells me that even many of the West Indian restaurants also get it wrong the majority of time.

My 5 tips for perfecting curry shrimp.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp (clean + deveined)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (diced)
2 scallions
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion (diced)
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon veg oil (see tip below)
1/2 medium tomato (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic (diced)

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and get ready to season/marinate. TIP 1. Do NOT marinate more than 10 minutes. Season with the 1/4 the curry powder, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, scallions, salt, black pepper and thyme. Mix well and marinate for no more than 10 minutes or you’ll risk it starting to cook prematurely.

Heat a non stick pan on a med/high flame and go in with the veg oil. TIP 2 .. by using a non stick pan we’ll considerably reduce the amount of veg oil we use in cooking this curry. Turn the heat down to low and go in with the diced onion, 2 minutes later go in with the diced garlic (cook for 30 seconds). With your heat still on low it’s now time to add the cumin seeds, cook for 2 minutes then add the curry powder to the pan. TIP 3. Cook the curry powder on low for about 3-5 minutes. This will cook out any raw curry taste and allow the spices which makes up the curry blend to bloom (most flavor).

Turn the heat back up to med/high and add the seasoned shrimp to the pan and mix well. Basically you want to coat each shrimp with that lovely curry base we created. TIP 4.. cook on a relatively high heat.

Do NOT cover the pan/pot! TIP 5.. if you were to cover the pan the shrimp will spring a lot of liquid which will take long to burn off. The goal is to cook the shrimp (remember we already have that flavor-packed base) very quickly so they are plump and juicy when we’re done. I usually cook the shrimp at this point for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size.

Turn off the heat, move the pan off the burner and top with the chopped cilantro. Should you want a bit of gravy with this curry shrimp you can remove the shrimp after 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk.. bring to a boil and cook for a couple minutes. When you have a desired thickness to your sauce, you can add back the shrimp and warm through. Don’t over-cook please. Adjust the salt accordingly.

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Seafood

Fry-Dry Curry Shrimp A Family Classic.

December 20, 2016September 28, 20165 Comments

This is definitely one of those dishes that takes me back to my childhood. Seafood was our mortal enemy (with the exception of fried King Fish) of ours when we were kids, however this fried dried curry shrimp was something we always requested from mom. Normally served with hot-out-the oven coconut bake. Unlike traditional curry shrimp where you’d normally have a gravy or sauce and sometimes you’d find pieces of potato in the mix, this curry shrimp is all about that rich and intense curry flavor.

You’ll Need…

1 lb small/med shrimp
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 hot peppers (any you like)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tomato diced-fine
1 scallion diced -fine
1 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2-3 tablespoon veg oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Note: It seems that I forgot to take pics of the actual cooking process as I normally do. However you’ll manage with the written instructions and directly below you’ll have access to the full demo video. IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder which may contain flour as a filler.

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp – drain dry. Then season with the salt, black pepper, scallion, tomato, hot pepper of your choice (this curry is usually spicy – but you can leave out the peppers if you wish) and Caribbean Green seasoning. Allow it to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a heavy pot, then add the diced garlic and turn the heat down to as low as it can go. We don’t want to burn the garlic. After a minute add the curry powder (I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean) as well as the cumin seeds. Heat still on low – we’re trying to bring out the flavors of the spices which makes up the curry blend.

It will go a bit grainy and darker. After about 3-4 minutes, it’s time to crank up the heat to med/high and start adding the marinated shrimp. Yes, add everything from the bowl and keep mixing as to pick up all that curry goodness from the bottom of the pot.

We’re using a heavy pot as we want to heat to be evenly distributed so we can cook the shrimp quickly before it’s overcooked and goes rubbery. Do NOT cover the pot and DON’T walk away as we don’t want it to stick and burn. Mix well and after about 4-6 minutes you’ll have a delightful fry-dry curry shrimp. As you turn off the stove toss in the chopped cilantro (typically Shado Beni would be used) and mix well Feel free to use a non-stick pot if you’re worried about the amount of vegetable oil used or if you’re worried about it possibly burning on the high heat.

Besides being and excellent side dish, I love these curry shrimp on sandwiches. As mentioned above, mom would make thick coconut bake and we would line up in the kitchen for a sandwich stuffed with these shrimp. She did use smaller shrimp though.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Shrimp With Pumpkin.

March 11, 2017August 11, 20163 Comments

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.

Gluten Free Seafood

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

February 17, 2015February 17, 20151 Comment

When you grow up in the ‘country’ areas on the islands, you’re sure to have a kitchen garden where most of the vegetables, herbs and peppers you use in in the kitchen, comes directly from. My brother and I were gardeners from a very young age (not by choice.. especially when we wanted to run football and not tend to plants). Looking back, it seems we always had some sort of beans planted in that small plot of land at the back of our home. Maybe this is where my love for beans of all types originated? In this recipe we’ll use two of my favorite ingredients, string beans and shrimp along with that curry base, this will definitely be delightful.

You’ll Need…

1 lb shrimp
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 teaspoon veg oil (marinating the shrimp)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
2 lbs string beans (any type of green beans)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Note: You can use bodi (yard beans), French beans or just about any green beans you enjoy! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire ingredient list to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Be mindful that most curry powder may have flour as a filler, so do read the label.

Trim the edges off the beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces and wash/drain. Dice the peppers, onion and garlic. Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers you must wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Peel and devein the shrimp, then season with the green seasoning and the teaspoon of vegetable oil and set aside to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

Heat a wide pan on medium heat, then add the seasoned shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the pan and set aside as we don’t want to overcook the shrimp (they will go rubbery).

Burn off any liquid in the pan, then add the tablespoon of veg oil and go in with the diced onion and garlic. Turn the heat down to low as we don’t want to burn the garlic but get that lovely flavor out of it. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

With the heat still on low, toss in the curry powder and black pepper, stir well. In this step we’ll toast the curry to release the rich flavors of the spices which makes up the curry blend. This step will also cook-out the sort of raw curry taste.

The curry will go dark and grainy.. that’s exactly what we’re looking for. Turn the heat up to medium and add the trimmed string beans as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Mix well to get all that lovely curry goodness from the bottom of the pan. Now add the water, cover the pan and bring it up to a boil. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 12 minutes. Don’t forget to add the salt at this point as well.

At this point it’s time to go in with the previously cooked shrimp and diced bell peppers and turn up the heat to burn off any liquid at the bottom of the pot. Taste for salt (adjust accordingly) and cook longer (or less) depending on how you like your beans cooked. To stretch this dish you can also add some diced tomato near the end.

You should have plump and juicy shrimp, tender beans and that curry will bring it all together. For a more rich flavor you can use coconut milk instead of water in the cooking process. You may notice that I included some of the seeds of the scotch bonnet pepper.. be mindful that will increase the heat level as most of the heat in such hot peppers are in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds.

Gluten Free Seafood

Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

November 9, 2014July 24, 201229 Comments

I’ve always had a weakness for curry potato, especially if there was hot sada roti on the side to sap-up the lovely gravy. And I’ve never been known to back away for a good dose of curry shrimp... must be a bit spicy though and not overcooked. So when our mom first introduced us to this dish many moons ago, I was in my little personal Shangri-La. Curry potato with shrimp gives you the rich creaminess of tender potatoes, spiced up with the lovely aroma of the curry powder and the kick of the scotch bonnet peppers are indeed present and jumps out at you (you can certainly control the heat level). The herbal notes of the green seasoning paste used in marinating the shrimp adds another level of true Caribbean goodness which words alone can’t describe.

You’ll Need…

4 medium potatoes
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared green seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon parsley
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon anchar massala
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: Use a small to medium sized shrimp for best results (more sweet as we say in the Caribbean). When using and handling scotch bonnet peppers it’s important to wear gloves and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after use. The seeds and area surrounding it will have the most heat, so remove and discard if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. I used a Caribbean style Madras curry powder as this is the blend I enjoy using (stuff I grew up eating), but you can use your fav curry powder. If you can’t source anchar massala, you can use about 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (geera) IMPORTANT! Be sure to read the label of the curry powder (and other ingredients) to ensure it’s fully gluten free as some curry powders have added flour as a filler.

Peel and devein your shrimp if you’ve not already done so (something you get them already cleaned in the supermarkets). In the event you’re not sure how to do so, here’s a short video showing how easy it can be.

Wash your shrimp with the juice of a lime or lemon, rinse with cool water and drain. Now add the green seasoning paste to the shrimp and give it a good stir. Allow that to marinate for about 10-15 minutes or so… try not to go too much longer as the green seasoning can start cooking the tender shrimp.

It’s now time to prep the other ingredients. Basically all you have to do is peel and chop the onion and garlic as well as the scotch bonnet pepper. Then peel,wash and cube the potatoes.

Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil, then the garlic and onion. Allow this to cook (reduce your heat to min) for 3 minutes, or until it’s nice and soft and you can get that lovely scent of cooked onion and garlic. Now add the sliced scotch bonnet pepper and curry powder. With your heat still on low, allow the curry powder to toast a bit (2-3 minutes).

Now add about a 1/4 cup of water (not mentioned in the ingredients list) and scrape the stuff off the bottom of the pan. The first step we toasted the curry, this step we’re cooking the curry so we don’t get a raw aftertaste when the dish is done. Bring this to a boil and allow it to gently simmer for 4-5 minutes. Then turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid. The curry paste will go a bit grainy and clump to the cooked onion,garlic and scotch bonnet pepper.

Add the diced potato and give it a good stir, then add the anchar massala and salt and pour in the water. Be sure to scrape off all that goodness from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce your heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the potato gets tender and liquid starts to thicken up (lid closed).

With the potatoes tender, it’s time to add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and give it a good stir. After 1 minute, check for salt (add accordingly) and if you find the sauce or gravy is too thin, using the back of your spoon, crush a few pieces of the potato to thicken the gravy. Keep in kind that as this curry potato with shrimp cools, it will naturally thicken up. So not to overcook the shrimp… turn off the stove, top with the chopped parsley (adds a nice punch of colour) and place the lid on the pan to allow the residual heat to fully cook the shrimp.

I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or any creamy potato for this dish as the overall texture is simply amazing. Remember if you want to control the heat you can use less scotch bonnet pepper or simply leave it out altogether. This curry potato with shrimp is excellent with rice, roti or bread and I assure you that even your kids will love this one… if not send me their names and I’ll tell Santa they were bad this year (smile).

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.

Eggplant With Potato (baigan and aloo) And Shrimp Recipe.

5 Tips To Cooking Perfect Curry Shrimp.

Fry-Dry Curry Shrimp A Family Classic.

Curry Shrimp With Pumpkin.

String Beans With Shrimp In A Rich Caribbean Curry.

Curry Potato With Shrimp Recipe.

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