Trinidad Curry Chicken

What is curry chicken?

Curry chicken is essentially pieces of chicken seasoned with green seasoning and simmered in a flavorful curry base. Each cook has their variation, however, there is one constant and that is the use of green seasoning. Green seasoning is a blend of herbs and aromatics and may include the following in any combination: scallions, thyme, bandhani(culantro/shado beni), parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, pimento pepper, hot pepper. Read more about green seasoning here.

How to cook curry chicken?

Ready for a flavor-packed journey into Trinidadian cuisine? Let’s dive into making the most delicious curry chicken ever! Grab a whole chicken or your favorite chicken pieces, and let’s get started.

Prep the Chicken: Cut up the chicken and give it a good wash. Squeeze a lime or lemon over it for that extra zing.

Meet Green Seasoning: This is where the magic begins. Mix up a bunch of fresh herbs and loads of garlic – we call it green seasoning in Trinidad. Slather that goodness all over the chicken. Let it soak up those fantastic flavors.

Curry Action: Time to cook up that curry! Get it sizzling until it’s not raw anymore. This step is all about building those mouthwatering flavors before adding the chicken.

Chicken Joins the Party: Once your curry is feeling just right–grainy and fragrant, in goes the marinated chicken. Let them mingle and dance together in the pot. Ah, the aroma is irresistible!

Simmer and Enjoy: Let it all simmer until the chicken is perfectly cooked and the flavors are in full bloom. That’s your cue to dig in and enjoy the delightful Trinidadian twist on curry chicken.

Cooking doesn’t get more fun and tasty than this. Whether you’re a kitchen pro or just trying something new, our Trinidad-style curry chicken will surely spice up your mealtime. Get ready to treat your taste buds to a burst of Caribbean flavors! 🍲✨

What to serve with curry chicken?

Simmered until the flavors develop into a phenomenal-cohesive combination, it can be eaten with paratha roti, sada roti,dhal and rice, or stewed red beans and rice. We eat it for lunch or dinner in Trinidad, and, depending on how hungry you are, having it for breakfast is not objectionable!

Do you have curry cravings too?

At various times, we all crave either something sweet, something salty, something sour, or something spicy. I have those days when I crave something curry (contrary to popular belief, curry does not necessarily mean spicy), and my mummy’s curried chicken is comforting, irresistible, and by far the best I have eaten.

I have been trying to get her to make this with me for quite some time and the day finally arrived! My curry is pretty good, but I wanted her to be a part of this post because she is the reason I love curry so much. Both she and my Aunty Iya came over to my house for “the big production” and we had a lot of laughs over the ‘lights, camera, and all the action for a small pot of curry”….so many laughs, someone almost….well, that’s better left unsaid…

No diet of mine ever survives a trip to Mummy’s home. Her curried chicken is the reason I could never become a vegetarian. Period. One plate. Two plates. Three plates…and then my groans….and my request for help….”Could someone please stop me?” ..and then I would eat a little more……and then pack some to take home too.

Why Mummy cooks 20 pounds of curry chicken?

It’s no wonder Mummy cooks about 20 pounds of chicken when she makes curry, some for my aunt, my cousin who lives across the street, the neighbors who smell the scent of curry coming from her makeshift kitchen in her garage, her tenant, my sisters, some for her co-workers…and for herself of course.

Actually, this is a normal ritual in our family for every meal she cooks. She doesn’t cook too often anymore because she works nights and long hours in a cancer hospital, plus her arthritis prevents her from standing too long, but we do look forward to the days that she cooks! (Update: 2023: She is now happily retired and enjoying retirement.)

What are the main ingredients in curry chicken?

• Chicken–You can use legs or thighs cut up, or a whole cut-up chicken which your butcher can do for you.
• Lemon, lime, or vinegar-In the Caribbean, we believe in thoroughly washing and rinsing the meat to remove that heavy meat smell, which we refer to as ‘freshness’.
• Green seasoning is a blend of fresh herbs, garlic, and/or onions. See my post on green seasoning here.
• Curry powder: In Trinidad, we have a variety of curry powders. These are a blend of spices that essentially reduce the need to use many different individual spices. The curry powder, cumin, and abundance of fresh herbs in this dish make it not only delicious but also super healthy!

So here it is, from Mummy’s kitchen to yours! I hope you give it a try!

**I have updated the pictures on many of my recipes since they were created in 2011, however, since Mummy played a part in the original post for this recipe, that in itself means more to me than more recent, better-quality pictures! Hope you understand. **

More Delicious Curry Chicken Recipes:

Curry Chicken with Potato

Curry Chicken with Pigeon Peas 

20 Min Boneless Curry Chicken 

Curry Chicken with Eggplant and Chickpeas

Curry Stew Chicken 

Turmeric Chicken (No Curry Powder) 

Traditional Curry Chicken (this recipe)

Indra’s (Mummy) Trinidad Curry Chicken Recipe
Serves 6-8

3 1/2 – 4 pounds chicken–legs, thighs or a whole chicken cut up
3 scallions (about 1 cup chopped)
4 large sprigs cilantro or 6 culantro leaves (about 1/4 cup chopped )
4 sprigs thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
5 large cloves garlic
1 medium onion, sliced and divided
4 tablespoons ‘Trinidad’ curry powder (light curry -use 4, heavy curry – use 6)
2 teaspoons Himalayan salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin, optional
2 pimento peppers, optional
Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper- sliced
2 medium potatoes–OPTIONAL

Notes:

–I use Trinidadian “Chief” or Cariherb brands of curry powder, but also tried another blend I found in the natural food store and it worked just as well.

— If a variety or herbs are not available in your supermarket, feel free to use only scallions, only cilantro or only culantro (better known as BANDHANIA OR CHANDON BENI in Trinidad) along with the onion and garlic. No thyme, no problem. This recipe is flexible. Keep in mind that the minced seasoning should amount to 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon.

–Mummy uses a whole hot pepper…and then some..since she loves to grow her own during the summer.

–If using “hard” home fowl, cook on a lower heat and allow for additional cooking time.

1.Prep: Slice onion, reserve a few slices. Wash and chop herbs. Peel garlic. Slice peppers and set aside.

Make Green Seasoning: In a food processor or blender(or chop COARSELY by hand), mince scallion, cilantro/culantro, thyme, garlic and onion(not the reserved slices) and peppers. (You may choose not to add the onion to the blender but keep it sliced)

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the Green Seasoning for the curry paste in no.3 below.

2.Prepare Chicken: Wash chicken with lemon, removing excess fat. Drain well.

Season chicken with salt, pepper and the remainder of the Green Seasoning.

Let marinate for several hours or overnight(OPTIONAL).

3. Make Curry Paste: In a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons curry powder, 4 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon of the reserved Green Seasoning. Mix well. Set aside.

4. Cook Curry: In a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil, add the reserved pieces of onions and pepper and cook until golden brown. Add curry mixture and cook until grainy and curry separates from the oil, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot to prevent it from sticking and burning, 3-5 minutes.

5.Add Chicken: Add seasoned chicken to pot. Mix well.

Add cumin…..and salt and pepper if you haven’t already. If using potatoes, add now.

Cover pot and cook on medium heat until meat has relinquished its juices and subsequently evaporates about 15-20 minutes, gently stirring every 5-7 minutes or so in a basting motion (pouring the pan juices over the chicken).

6. Add water to make sauce: When the liquid has evaporated, continue to stir fry for a few seconds(or up to 2 mins) allowing the flavors to develop and scraping the bottom of the pot with the spoon to prevent it from burning. Then add 2 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover pot and cook until sauce has thickened about 5-10 minutes.

Taste test for salt and add more if required.

Enjoy with roti, dhal, rice, or anything nice.

Ria