Trinidad is a melting pot of different cultures. Trinidad curry chicken is one of the most popular recipes on the small island and every race on the island has its own spin on the famous recipe.
Growing up on the island of Trinidad means I had a chance to experience different kinds of foods. Indian foods were very popular in Trinidad, and since my mom always made Indian food, I naturally think that all households in Trinidad make it.
You just have to know how to cook curry chicken it what I thought as I got older. When I got married to my husband (who is American) I figured the pressure was off, but I was wrong. He got accustomed to eating island food from my mom so now I have to get my skills up.
Today I am making curry chicken. This isn’t my first time making it but I don’t make it often either. Here are the steps.
Gather up all your ingredients. I used chicken wings for my curry but you can use any part of the chicken you choose. you need three small-medium potatoes. You can peel them if you like or leave the skin on. Cut them into small bite-size pieces.
Pour oil into your hot pot, wait for the oil to get hot, and then mix your curry powder in the oil. I will say make sure you are using a very good put, especially not one that sticks or burns easily.
You don’t want to ruin the dish by using a bad pot. You are only stirring the curry for about 10 to 15 seconds in the oil because you don’t want it to start to burn.
Add your chicken to the pot and stir it to coat the chicken with the curry mixture. You can season your chicken with curry powder prior to adding it to the pot if you want more curry flavor and you can always add more while it’s cooking.
It is really up to you and your taste buds. That’s the beauty of cooking and creating meals, nothing is set in stone. Add spices and flavor to your own taste. You can even try hot curry powder if you was your curry to be a little spicy.
Next pour the water, your can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and potatoes into the pot and stir it all together. I didn’t wash the beans off I just opened the can and poured it into my curry because I wanted the starch from the liquid in the pot because it can help with thickening the curry.
Bring your pot to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and leave uncovered and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. You will know when it is done because the potatoes will be soft and the chickpeas will also be very soft. If your sauce is too runny then lower the heat and let it simmer a bit longer in the pot.
We ate ours with white rice, however, you can eat it with whatever you feel like eating yours with. I generally prefer my curry with Roti or Paratha. You can make curry chicken, beef, pork or beef. Really you can curry whatever you want.
Curry powder can also be used to make great vegan dishes. Indian people often make a mix of both vegetarian and meat dishes when creating meals. You can remove all animal products from the dish and achieve amazing results as well.
I don’t have exact measurements for this recipe I just estimate. So I guess I can estimate a recipe but you gauge it when you are using it to suit your own taste. I will note that I do not cook with onions because I have an allergy, but you can certainly add it to yours as well as garlic and other herbs and spices as well.
My Curry Chicken Recipe
- 5-7 chicken wings cut into two pieces (so 10-14 wing dings)
- you can use any kind of chicken you want just adjust the recipe as you go
- 3 small to medium potatoes (peeled and cut into bite size cubes)
- 1 can of Garbanzo beans (chick peas)
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp of curry powder (you can add or take away according to your taste)
- 2-3 cups of water to start (you can add more or less depending on the size of your pot)
- Cut your chicken wings in half so you end up with wing dings. You can season your chicken with a little salt and pepper or seasoning salt if you like. You can also add some curry to the chicken while you are prepping the other ingredients for added flavor.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes. You make leave the skin on if you prefer just wash them thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in your pot on the stove and just when it starts to get hot pour in the curry powder. Stir it for about 10 to 15 seconds and then pour in the chicken. Stir the chicken to coat it with the curry mixture.
- Pour in your water, chick peas )straight from the can) and potatoes. Stir to mix it all up. Don’t pour all the water in at once because you don’t want to make the curry watery. You can add water later on if you need more.
- Bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low temp and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. You will know when its done because the potatoes will be soft, as well as the chick peas. If the sauce is not thick enough turn the temp down to low and let it simmer until your desired thickness.
Remember you can add more seasoning and flavor to this to suit your taste. Some people prefer adding hot pepper to their curry to make it spicy and its really up to you if you want to add onions, garlic and other herbs to your curry recipe.
The key to making good curry is finding a good curry powder that you like, making sure you have a nice stockpot, and allowing it to simmer. Here are some great cooking essentials that would work great for cooking any kind of curry. If you use thighs in your recipe cut them in half across the bone. They book better that way to me.
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Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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