Jamaican Curry Goat
The very first time I had tasted Jamaican Curry Goat many suns back was in an International Festival. We were trying to decide on our lunch, when we spotted this Spicy Rich Curry & got rooted there. It was served with white rice & some fried Plaintains- & needless to say we were satisfied & pleasurably surprised. Till that day I was under the misconception that that the concept of “Curry” did not go beyond India. How did the Curry travel to the Islands? This is what I found..”Curry, which is popular in Jamaica, was introduced there in the 17th century by East Indian slaves who were brought to the island (then an English colony) by the British.” So along with the immigrants, went the curry, spices & all. Now that explains…
This curry goat immediately reminded me of home. I remember when we would live in a joint family, with my grandparents & Uncles & Aunts & Cousins all in the same house… it was a glorious time. My grandfather was very fond of goat meat, & it was a “RULE” at our home at that time that we get the best kind of goat meat available & cook it the most elaborate way when we had company & during other special times.. My grand pa would actually pull a chair in the kitchen & supervise the cooking of the goat curry. The preparation to cook the goat curry would start from the day before when it would be marinated in spices & yogurt. The following morning it would be cooked under the strict vigilance of my grandpa who gave directions to the cook. There would be no quick pressure quicking that I resort to today. The meat cooked all day long as the big pot sat on low almost dying charcoal flame…. while the spices & ingredients mixed, combined, simmered & got flavorful beyond words. The meat would be so tender to bite….We would have it with white rice, a side salad of finely sliced cucumber, onions & tomato & the meal ended with “mishti doi” (Sweet yogurt)…I could close my eyes & get transported to those days.
While my grand pa supervised (& the rest of us benefited from a delicious meal), what he did not know was, in another part of the world there is someone else too who is taking that extra special care to cook a curry goat. For I have learnt that the main meat of the Caribbean is goat and it forms the centerpiece of any important celebration and one is judged on just how good your goat cooking is. In Jamaica the curried goat rules Supreme. It is an aromatic preparation done with a lot of spices & a lot of care. Jamaican curry powder has coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon stick, ground ginger and ground turmeric & Scotch Bonnet Peppers which lends it’s very original flavor . These are all familiar spices to me except for the Scotch Bonnet Pepper. Before I made this, I did have some questions about the authentic preparation of the curry goat, which were immediately clarified by Cynthia of Tastes like Home.
Sending this to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle: Caribbean Cooking. It is hosted by Meeta herself.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds goat meat, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 Potatoes, Peeled & quartered
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- 1 large onions, chopped
- 1 large Tomato, chopped
- 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, minced.[I used Habanero, since I could not find any Scotch Bonnet] (For less heat, seed the peppers and remove the veins.)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- About 4 tablespoons curry powder (more or less to taste)
- 8 tablespoons Cooking Oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime
For the Curry Powder (Adapted from here): (You can buy store bought Jamaican Curry Powder. I made my own)
- 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 4 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cayenne or any Red Chilli Powder
- 3 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2″ Stick of Cinnamon
- 4 Cardamom Pods
- 4 teaspoons Whole black pepper
- 2 teaspoons star anise or aniseed
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice.
Combine all ingredients and mix them together well with a mortar and pestle or a blender. Store the powder in a tightly sealed jar.
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the goat meat, scallions, half of the onions, Scotch bonnet peppers, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons of curry powder, and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix the ingredients together, coating the pieces of goat well with the mixture. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
The following day, remove the goat meat from the refrigerator and set aside. Scrape off as much marinade as you can from the meat, & save the marinade.
Place a large Dutch pot over medium high heat. Add the cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add two tablespoons of curry powder to the pot and stir it into the oil. Add the meat to this & fry for about 10 -12 minutes at medium heat, till all the spicy oil coats the meat & the meat starts to brown on the sides.
Add the remaining onions and cook them until they are translucent. If needed splash some water & stir to deglaze.
Add the garlic, tomato & the saved marinade (the one you scraped off) to the Dutch pot and stir & toss to well to combine all of the ingredients for about 15 – 20 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and the lime juice & 1 cup of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pot and simmer the goat meat for 2 or3 hours (or until the meat is very tender) at medium heat, adding water as needed. Towards the end of 2 hours, add the potato pieces to the pot and cover & cook again for may be an hour. Add little more water if required.
You are done when the meat & the potatoes are tender.
Garnish with more Fresh Peppers if you want & serve with Plain White Rice. Some fried plaintains & Mango Chutney would make it a feast!
MMMmmmmmmmm! Perfect! Talking about flavors here.. there was no dearth of it. What we were missing were the Warm Sun, Sand & the Sea & some Live Reggae….
Here is for my record: Just completed 6 months of blogging & this happens to be my 100th post.
Related Posts:
Bahama Mama
Rich Rum Fruit Cake
Curried Chicken with Cardamom Infused Coconut Sauce
Tags: 100th post, caribbean cooking, caribbean cuisine, caribbean meat, caribbean recipe, curry, curry goat, curry powder, goat meat, jamaican cuisine, jamaican curry, jamaican curry goat, jamaican goat curry, jamaican recipe, mutton curry, recipe, scotch bonnet peppers, taste of jamaica, the curry of the island
March 4th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
You are very good at this, Soma
I’m a vegetarian and I still drooled over this 
Great pics! I’m still wondering what to do for the Mingle!
Thanks A&N:-)
March 4th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
mmmm..you made me all hungry Soma..
First ur childhood story,n then now the recipe..I was imagining things and drooling all the time..The dish took 3 hrs..woah..I would neva have that patience…Needless to say looks awesome..!!
6 months n 100 posts.!!way to go hard-working girlie..
Varsha, I always cook mutton/goat meat in the pressure cooker. But I had to do it this one time. It does take a long time to get tender:-)
About the 100 posts in 6 months.. I myself was really surprised. what had happened was before going live with the blog, I had locally uploaded a lot of recipes over some period of time. so by the time i got live I already had some 30 recipes in the blog:-)
March 4th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Oh, I wish you lived next door so I could come over and have a taste of this wonderful dish! I’ve never had goat meat, I’m trying it the first chance I get! Thank you for sharing your family story too.
Thanks Natasha! Goat meat is not easily available here, except for some middle eastern/pakistani butchers.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Congrats on ur century in a very short period
Curry is very scruptious.
Thanks Cham.. bout the SO MANY posts in these few months, see varsha’s comment, I wrote the reason there:-)
March 4th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I cant even recollect when did i ate it last
My mom use to make some traditional BHUNO Mutton(as we call the goat meat cooked in sindhistyle)and it goes without saying that we use to eat more rotis than regular and still not being contented,we would dip slices of bread or chunks of Softbuns(pav) in the curry and save some chunks of meat deliberately so that mom could make Mutton Biryani using those meat pieces…sigh sigh sigh sigh……..
Now mom doesnt have that energy to cook and no matter how hard i try,i know that it wont taste as good as mom’s even if i gave my life and soul ,cooking such traditional dishes myself
Well now that i m thru with my musings…lets get back to ur post
Awesome curry and lovely writeup,loved to know abt ur Grandpa and tht reminded me of my maternal grandpa(NAANA)
The recipe is far diff. from what we follow,but i can imagine the bursting flavors just by going thru the ingredients
Alka that’s what I do with the leftover pieces (even of chicken curry) make biryani:-) I would love to knwo your mom’s recipe, for your food looks really really good.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Ah … barir kotha mone koriye dile Soma! Not to mention jhal jhal mangshor jhol ar bhaat.
Congrats on your 100th post! Tomar archives pacchi na keno?
Sharmila.. ekdom bari r motoi khete hoyechilo + ektu beshi moshla chilo…
Archives the right most column er top e.. in a drop down..
March 4th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
That’s one good looking curry Soma. I love making Indian curries, & this looks scrumptious!
Thanks Deeba:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Oh my god..Awesome clicks!! I feel like being in Jamaica…Curry looks drool-worthy..
Congrats on your 100th post,Soma
Thanks Madhumathi!
March 5th, 2009 at 12:31 am
lovely clicks.,..;-) nd the curry looks so yum,..;)
Thanks Priyanka!
March 5th, 2009 at 1:29 am
hi soma..though i do not eat mutton i just loved the recipe and lemme see if v can try that with chicken..
Divz, u can make it with chicken too. the curry chicken is done in the same way.
March 5th, 2009 at 1:35 am
This looks good. I think I prefer the taste of mutton to chicken.
I find it fascinating that some men of our grandparents’ generation and even earlier took so much interest in not just food but the cooking of it, in a home setting (non-commercial) – I know many who don’t cook but can immediately tell what is right or wrong with the recipe, and how it can be remedied and whether the grinding was right or wrong, etc.
Sra… That’s what he was like. During bigger ocassions when the professional cooks ( we callled them “thakur”) came, they would get irritated for he would keep on telling things to them:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 2:16 am
The curry looks wonderful….from where you get all the good recipes………very unique recipe…..tumi amake amar great grandfather-er katha mane kariye dile…he was a very good cook, whenever it’s goat meat,he used to cook by himself.
Thanks! LOL Indrani.. Dadu der kando:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 2:46 am
Wow..the curry looks absolutely delicious! I love mutton but we dont get any near my area
The pics are totally drool worthy!
Thanks! I know how goat meat is not available in all the places. try bangladeshi/pakistani/middle eastern butchers.
March 5th, 2009 at 3:43 am
Wow indulgence is the word coming from my mouth. Spicya nd yum….
thanks Lubna:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Delicious Jamaican curry, looks gorgeous…Soma congrats on ur century….wishing you more milestones in blogsphere:)
Thank you very much dear Priya:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Love the curry and a lovely post.
Thanks you Medhaa!
March 5th, 2009 at 5:52 am
ooops i missed it…..congrats dear for hitting the century,way to go………..
heheehe Thanks Alka, lag raha hain chakka mar mar ke ja rahi hun… but see I answered in Varsha’s Comment, century itni jaldi kyase huyi:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 6:14 am
I am just speechless. If the curry goat is even half as delicious as it looks I will be in heaven, beautiful pictures as usual.
Congrats Soma. It has been always a pleasure to visit here and indulge
I love your grandpa just reading about him.
Thanks ! I really wish he could read this.:-(
March 5th, 2009 at 6:36 am
SLURP!!! What a great color. I wanted to make this too but don;t know where to go for Goat. That is a fab entry Soma, good job girl. Hope you win, I am rooting and tooting for you. Hugs!
)
Thanks Asha! But I so fell in love with your Festivals! Bring that over & we will have it with the mutton;-)
March 5th, 2009 at 7:09 am
This surely looks like Kosha Mangsho !!! jibhe jol ashche ar pet gur gur korche
Congrats for the century, wow 100 posts in 6 months…that is something
Sandeepa.. eta ekdom bong der robibar er kosha mansho, even alu in it, but ektu beshi moshla…
6 months a 100 dekhe amio ghabre gechilam… see Varsha’s comment, i have told how it happened:-)
March 5th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Soma congrats for your 100 posts!! and for your lovely Jamaican goat wowww this flavor combined with fried plantains typical of the Caribbean countries is glorious!
Colorful-plenty of aromas dish, very good job Soma
Hope you’ll win!!
Cheers!
Gera
Oh Gera! Thanks a lot ! & Thanks a zillion for the Stumble:-) again!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Congratulations on the 100th post dear, the lamb curry looks very good!
Thanks Mona!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Wonderful photos…you captured the essence of the dish so well!
Thanks Peter!
March 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Just looking to the picture my mouth is wattering and then goat i love when it is cooked fully they are so soft and yummy. I can imagine the delicious flavours from this curry.
Thanks HC! I think we should really start the Caribbean party, with dirty rice, jerk chicken, mutton & the festivals (asha’s).. that’s all i have seen so far
March 5th, 2009 at 10:55 am
This is so nostalgic a post !
The curry looks so very lovely ! Wish could platter one out right from these pic !
March 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Oh my god that looks ridiculously amazingly good! Love me some curry! Just did a post today on how to use a Meat Thermometer, if your readers are interested. Meat Cooking Temperature Chart for lovers of meat!
March 5th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Gorgeous curry!!! Even I pressure cook for the ease but when cooked otherwise..the taste is really something amazing….
March 6th, 2009 at 12:58 am
Soma … abar elam. Archives pelam … Ektu right shift korte holo screen ta ….ebar jomiye porbo.
Ekhon dupur … Sandeepar comment er moton … tomar kosha mangsho dekhe pet gur gur korche.
March 6th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Soma,
..
congrats on this great achievement and mutton curry looks so delicious
hugs and smiles
March 6th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
It is so difficult to find goat meat in regular stores here in the States. I’ve never cooked goat meat at home, however, I’ve eaten goat curry in Indian restaurants and I was pleasantly surprised. This recipe looks incredible.
March 8th, 2009 at 4:53 am
The curry looks gorgeous. Perfect with white rice!
March 8th, 2009 at 7:47 am
spectacular soma! although I am not a huge fan of goat meat but i think cooked this way i really could really learn to enjoy it. a brilliant MM entry – thanks!
March 10th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Awesome curry!Gotta try my meat slow cooked someday,my dad once said during his childhood grandma use to let the meat cook on low heat overnight ,the next morning the curry was ready perfect with rotis,imagine how flavorful the curry would be.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:47 am
soma firstly congrats for your 100 posts… i have once tasted goat curry at my friend place. that was great…this jamaican goat curry sounds great..picture looks cool. i always have a hard time trying to find ingredients. one of my friend introduced to a great resource and i thought that i pass great along as well.
http://www.myethnicworld.com
March 12th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I haven’t ever eaten goat but the pictures are mouthwatering! Lovely story too!
March 14th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I don’t even think you can buy goat where I come from but the pictures do make it look a lovely dish.
March 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Curry Powder…
The very first timeI had tasted Jamaican Curry Goat many suns backwas in an International Festival. [...]…
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 am
paari naa guru !! jobhe jol byapar .. JIYO !! JIYO!!!
August 29th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I HAVE JUST COOKED THIS CURRY BUT USING LAMB, ITS A SUPERB RECIPE, EASY TO FOLLOW AND TASTES ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. THE FAMILY LOVED IT. THANKS.