vegan curry

I’ve shared countless ways of making this over the years, yet this version is still the classic and most requested by fans of my work. A simple dish, usually served with the easiest and most classic of all the roti’s we make in the Caribbean, Sada Roti.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons curry powder
1 Habanero pepper (green/sliced)
3 medium potatoes (sliced)
2 tablespoon water
2 lbs eggplant (peeled/cubed)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1 teaspoon Anchar masala
1/2 cup water (explained below)
3-5 Wiri Wiri peppers (optional)

Notes! May I recommend that you follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If you cannot source the Anchar Masala, use ground roasted cumin (geera). Should you want to add a more herbal flavor to the curry, you may add a tablespoon Green Seasoning after cooking the onion/garlic combo. If making this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain fillers.

In a wide pan on a medium flame add the veg oil or any oil you prefer using. Follow up with the onion, garlic and black pepper and cook low for 2-3 minutes. In reality you may use as much onion and garlic as you prefer.

Add the curry powder and stir to toast evenly for 3 minutes on the low flame.

Add the sliced Green Habanero pepper (explained in the video) and 2 tablespoon of water, followed by the (peeled, washed and sliced) potatoes. Stir well, then go in with the eggplant pieces (about 1 inch cubes) and mix well.

Top with the Anchar Masala, turn the heat to med/low and cover the pot/pan and allow the steam and heat to do its thing. The eggplant or baigan will release a lot of moisture.

Stir every 4 minutes or so. Remember to add the salt at this point as well. Cook for about 8 minutes. At that point add the 1/2 cup of water to help get the potatoes tender to the point they start falling apart.

After 22-25 minutes of adding the potato to the pot, everything should be fairly cooked. Remove the lid (I had it slightly ajar) adjust the salt to your liking. At this point I added a few Wiri Wiri peppers WHOLE (do not break them) and cover the pot as you turn off the stove.

The residual heat will soften the skin of the Wiri Wiri peppers which will break easily when I enjoy my hot Sada Roti. Do not serve the peppers to your children or anyone who cannot handle the raw heat.

Easy to prepare, simply delicious and just overall comforting for me, as it’s something mom would make for my siblings and I on a Saturday morning.

Curry Bodi With Potatoes.

May 14, 2024May 2, 2024Leave a Comment

Bodi or Bora, and some may even know it as Yard Beans, Snake Beans, Pea Beans, Asparagus Beans or Chinese Long Beans, is one of my favorite curry dishes, even as a lil fella on the islands. And while the recipe will work with French or String beans, Bodi has a unique flavor it imparts into the finished dish like nothing else.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (sliced)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Geera)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Green Seasoning
2 tablespoons curry powder
3 Bird Pepper (bird’s eye)
2 lbs Bodi (trimmed)
3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust)
4 medium potatoes (chunks)
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut cream

Notes. May I recommend you use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If making this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain fillers. I used Bird’s Eye Peppers in the amount I can handle, use any pepper you like or can source or you may leave it out.

Wash and trim the ends off the Bodi (discard), then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse again and drain.

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, then add the onion, garlic and Cumin (geera) seeds. Turn the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the Caribbean Green Seasoning, Bird’s Eye Peppers and black pepper, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the curry powder. Heat still on low.

The goal is to slowly cook the curry powder to bloom the spices which make up this wonderful blend. Should you need to add a bit more oil, do so.

Four minutes later add the washed and trimmed Bodi to the pot and stir well.

Turn the heat up to medium high.

Follow up with the salt and potato pieces. Mix well to coat.

The water goes in now and bring to a boil.

Tuck in the coconut cream and reduce to a simmer. Cook with the lid on but slightly ajar.

At the 25 minute mark you may check and adjust the salt. Remember to stir a couple times and add a bit more water if you need to. Here’s when you’ll decide if the sauce of gravy at the bottom is to your liking.

The potato pieces along with the Bodi should be fully cooked by now and it’s important that you consider that any sauce at the bottom of the pot will further thicken as it cools, especially with the residual heat of the pot.

While in my youth Sada Roti was my fave way to enjoy this delightful vegan dish, over the years Buss Up Shut Roti is my go-to!

Gluten Free Seafood Vegetarian

Curry Seim (hyacinth bean) With Potato.

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023Leave a Comment

The last of the produce from my garden for 2023! Sadly, freezing nights set in a couple weeks back and hastily we (mom and dad visited to assist) had to winterize the garden and get ready for the upcoming winter. With an abundance of Seim in hand, I thought I’d share a quick recipe with you all. Should you want to keep this recipe fully vegan/vegetarian, you may skip the addition of the prepared salted Cod fish.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs of Seim (trimmed)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 lb prepared salted cod
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (see notes below)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (geera)
1 medium onion (sliced)
3 medium potatoes (sliced)
1/2 cup water (or coconut milk)

Notes! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I suggest you follow along with the video below as I speak about they two types of Seim used and how to trim them for use in the dish. I didn’t add any hot pepper to the dish, but you’re free to do so if you enjoy very spicy curry dishes. Finally, I used boned (bones removed) Salted Cod, but you may use whatever type of salted fish you can access.

Wash, trim and cut the Seim.

Heat the oil on a medium flame in a deep pot and add the prepared salted cod. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pot (try to leave back as much oil as possible) and set aside for later.

In the same pot, turn the heat down to med/low and add the cumin (geera) seeds and cook for 2 minutes, then add the curry powder and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Should you need another tablespoon of olive oil (use your fav oil) in the pot, feel free to add more.

The curry will go darker and start to clump, that’s an indication that we’re on the right path. Do NOT burn it! Add the sliced potatoes and stir to coat with the curry base we made, then add the prepared Seim to the pot and repeat the stirring part.

Top with the salt, black pepper, garlic, onion and should you want to add a piece of Scotch Bonnet pepper, now would be the time to do so. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil (with the lid on).

After 3-4 minutes it’s time to add the water, turn the heat back down to low, place the lid back on the pot and gently cook everything until it’s all tender. In my case, it took about 30 minutes.

The final two steps are to add back the previously fried pieces of salted Cod and mix well. After 2 minutes taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Keep in mind that even though we did prepare (boiled or soaked in hot water) the salted Cod, it will still have remnants of the salt it was cured with. Once happy, turn off the stove.

Luckily for me I had some frozen buss up shut (paratha) Roti in the freezer, so I thoroughly enjoyed myself this evening as I tucked away into a dish I disliked as a lil fella on the islands.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Delightful Curry Tomato.

September 7, 2023September 5, 20231 Comment

Not necessarily a dish you’d find commonplace in the Caribbean and as I’ve explained in the video below, my take on this was born out of necessity (in my home). A combination of having pieces of tomatoes from the Preparing 25lbs of Tomato For the Winter post, and times when I have an abundance of tomatoes from garden. Vegan, Vegetarian, Ital and Gluten free, while not sacrificing taste.

You’ll Need…

3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 medium onion (large chunks)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 green peppers (watch the video)
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cups tomato puree
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (adjust)
5 medium tomato in chunks
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 tablespoon ground masala
3 tablespoon water
10 cherry tomato
1/2 cup chopped chives

Notes! 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 requirements. Especially the curry powder you use as some commercial ones may contain fillers. I didn’t add any overly spicy peppers (scotch Bonnet), but you’re free to add if you want the finished curry to have a pronounced kick. Refer to the video below where I explain why I used 3 different types of tomato in the dish.

Heat the oil (you may use any oil you prefer) on a medium flame in a deep pot (I used a glazed clay pot I purchased at a Hispanic store at the Hamilton Farmer’s Market), then add the mustard seeds, followed by the garlic, onion and green peppers two minutes later. Top with the black pepper, crush the bay leaf (add) and turn the heat down to low. Gently cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add the curry powder and give it a good stir. Continue cooking on a low heat as we don’t want to burn the garlic nor the curry. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn the heat to medium and add the tomato puree. Basically I placed chunks of tomato into my bullet blender and created the puree – you may need to add a couple tablespoons of water.

Add the salt and cook on a medium flame to help the liquid in the tomato burn off. It will take about 8-10 minutes. Do remember to stir every few minutes. You’ll see the oil we started with start rise to the surface.

The base will be thick and chunky from the big pieces of onion and peppers. Add the chunks of tomato at this point, followed by the turmeric, cinnamon and ground masala. Should you want to add a teaspoon of brown sugar (if your tomatoes are tart) do so and toss in the 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Cook for 4-5 minutes on that simmer (don’t over-stir as we want to maintain some texture from the chunky pieces of tomato), then adjust the salt to your liking (taste). It’s now time to add the cherry tomatoes and chives. Yes, you may add chopped Shado Beni (culantro) or Culantro (coriander), but as explained in the video, I prefer chives as I want that finishing garlic/onion flavor note on my tastebuds.

Turn off the heat and allow the residual heat from this clay pot to soften the cherry tomatoes. You may cook for an extra minute or two should you wish.

A delightful vegan curry, with wonderful flavors and interesting textures from using tomato three ways. TIP! Instead of using water as I did, you may use coconut milk for a wonderful sweet and creamy undertone.

Gluten Free Vegetarian

Curry Chickpeas (channa) With Potato (aloo).

February 23, 2023January 28, 20232 Comments

While I’ve shared several recipes with potato and chickpeas over the years and yes, you have seen a version of this curry recipe on here. This will be the first time we’re doing this from ‘scratch’. In the previous version we used chickpeas (channa) from the can, with excellent results, but I wanted to share the traditional way with you.

You’ll Need…

2 cups dried chickpeas (soak in 4 cups water)
6 medium potatoes (1/4’s)
12-16 cups water (adjust)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2 tablespoon Curry powder
1 tablespoon Anchar Masala
1 medium onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic
5 bird’s eye pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil | 1 teaspoon salt.
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

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 contain fillers. And remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling spicy peppers.

Place the dried chickpeas in a deep bowl and cover with water (not mentioned in the ingredient list) and allow it to soak for 4-6 hours. In my case I did it overnight. Make sure there’s about 1 inch of water above the dried chickpeas when you start. This step will help to quicken the cook time. Yes you can do this recipe with the aid of a pressure cooker, but I prefer to cook low and slow, plus we’re trying to stick to the traditional way of preparing this dish.

Let’s make a sort of slurry to start things off. In a bowl place the Curry Powder along with the Anchar Masala (use 1 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin if you cannot source the Anchar Masala), the Caribbean Green Seasoning and 3/4 cup water. Give this a good mix!

Heat the olive oil in a deep pot on a medium flame, pour in the curry slurry we created and turn the heat down to low. We want to gently cook the curry to allow all the spices which makes up a good curry powder, to bloom.

Let it cook on that gentle heat for 5 minutes, then crank-up the heat to HIGH to burn off all that liquid.

As you start seeing the oil we started with, take the heat all the way back down to low. Now add the onion, garlic and pepper (in my case I used birds eye pepper, but you can add any spicy pepper and in the amounts you like). Stir to mix well. Remember, the heat is on low.

Rinse the soaked chickpeas a couple times with cool water, drain and place in the pot now.

Also add in the potatoes (yea I like them in big pieces so as they cook and start falling apart, some will still keep their shape and add texture to the dish). Stir well to coat everything in that curry niceness we created.

It’s now time to add the salt and cover everything with water, then crank up the heat to medium/high to bring it to a boil. I used between 13-15 cups of water in cooking, as I stared with 12 cups but added more as it slowly cooked. This is a BIG batch of curry, so feel free to freeze the leftovers.

As it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and place the lid of the pot on, but slightly ajar. Cook for an hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Providing the channa is soft, it’s time to adjust the salt to your own liking.

To thicken things, I used my potato masher to smash a bit of the chickpeas, but do keep in mind that as the pot cools it will thicken naturally.

Typically you’d toss in chopped shado beni (chandon beni aka culantro) or cilantro, but in my case all I had was parsley on hand.

So there you have it, channa and aloo from scratch, an iconic veg or vegetarian curry, which is guaranteed to delight your tastebuds.

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/

Gluten Free Vegan

Curry Chataigne (breadnut / Katahar) The Best Vegan / Gluten Free Dish You’ll Ever Eat.

May 28, 2025February 20, 20203 Comments

I’ve talked about it before! In the Caribbean we do #vegan naturally and what I mean by that is.. we don’t take 15 grains and try to make a burger. We would take those 15 grains (for example) and make several dishes out of them. This Chataigne (aka breadnut) is a delicious example of how we do vegetarian dishes naturally – just part of the commonplace culinary landscape. And to be honest, until the recent Vegan/Vegetarian movement, we didn’t even notice how many of our everyday dishes fall into the “category”.

You’ll Need…

3 medium Chatagine (breadnut)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion (sliced)
3 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 cup water to cook the curry
1 scotch bonnet (sliced)
5-8 cloves of garlic (divided)
1 tablespoon anchar masalla
1 1/2 tablespoon roasted geera / divided (cumin)
1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
3 cups coconut milk
3 pimento peppers (diced fine)

Important! If doing this recipe #glutenfree please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder as some may contain flour.

I’d recommend that you watch the video below featuring my mom and dad along with following with this recipe. As some elements may be better described there.

Rub your hands with coconut or vegetable oil (not mentioned in the ingredients list above). This will form a protective barrier so the natural sap off the Chatainge will not stain and discolor your hands. Using a sharp knife, peel the Chataigne, then cut into segments. Remove the core and discard. Then peel or shred off layers of the inside (very cabbage-like at this point). There will be seeds that you can include in the dish. If you choose to use the seeds (we used about 30%) you will need to remove the tough outer skin (discard) and slice the seeds in half.

Give everything a good wash in cool water and drain. Then heat the oil in a large heavy pot on a medium flame. It’s now time to add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now add the curry powder cook 2 minutes to cook off any rawness (you’ll get this rawness at the end if you don’t cook it off now). Add 3/4 cup water, stir well. Go in with the scotch bonnet pepper and 3 cloves garlic grated… followed by 1/2 of the Geera and Anchar Masalla. Stir well, then add the Caribbean Green Seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes. You will have a lovely thick slurry with a captivating aroma.

It’s now time to start adding the cleaned and prepared Chataigne along with any seeds you decide on using to the pot. As you do, please try to stir. It will seem like a lot at the start but it will wilt down. Do remember to add the salt at this point as well.

Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk. My dad grated a couple dried coconuts from which my mom made freshly squeezed coconut milk (watch the video).

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently with the lid on. 1/2 hr later, we topped it with the remaining garlic (whole cloves) and continued on that gentle simmer (lid on).

Be sure to stir the pot every 15 minutes or so. After 2 hours, add the minced Pimento peppers, mix in well and continue cooking. Yes it does take a while to cook until it’s tender and bursting with flavors. You’ll appreciate the time it takes to cook once you taste this Curry Chataigne.

Bearing in mind that it took 3 hours on that gentle simmer to cook, the last 10 minutes is when you’ll add the last of the roast Geera (ground cumin) and mix in well.

At the 3 hour mark you will have burned off all the liquid and the Chataigne will be tender and ready to enjoy with Sada or Buss-Up-Shut Roti. A CLASSIC Caribbean vegetable curry courtesy of my mom and dad. Much luv and thanks to them for sharing such a traditional recipe with us.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.