Please share your west Indian recipes!

[Daphine2004]

Hi,

I’m 35 and have two mixed raced kids, 1 and 5. I am very keen for them (and my partner) to have the food I was brought up with regularly but my mum doesn’t cook that any more and can’t remember what she used properly anyway...

She did make chicken, rice and peas. Now, I’ve attempted this loads and it isn’t the same. The rice my mum made turned purple in colour and the peas were just amazing. She suggests I use dry kidney beans not out of a tub - if I have to, I will. Has anyone got a good recipe for this?

Also, for brown chicken stew?

and finally, I’ve been attempting to make my great gran’s rum cake. First time was a success as I had her recipe, but that was years ago and I’ve lost the paper I wrote it on. She is now in her 90’s and I can’t quite get on with the recipe she remembers.

We call it rum cake, but it’s basically a Christmas cake soaked in rum and tastes amazing.

Would anyone be able to help at all?

Thank you in advance, especially if you got to the end!

Thank you SO much,@TeamGhanaJollof! That’s so kind of you. I always have shito on fish and chips too! I 100% agree that shito goes with anything. I sometimes mix it with mayo to make a dip. It’s also nice spread onto crackers with cheese on top. It’s lush.

I’m pescatarian too so the tips for the stock are really helpful as well.

@MrsCrosbyNRTB

Thank you SO much,**@TeamGhanaJollof**! That’s so kind of you. I always have shito on fish and chips too! I 100% agree that shito goes with anything. I sometimes mix it with mayo to make a dip. It’s also nice spread onto crackers with cheese on top. It’s lush.

I’m pescatarian too so the tips for the stock are really helpful as well.

You’re very welcome, let me know how it goes when you make it.

My eldest mixes Shito and mayo too and has it with chips or nachos! Will tell her about trying it with crackers and cheese, thanks for the tip!

@extremity1

Im mixed race myself. Trinidadian background.

Check out pinterest for Trinidadian macaroni pie. Amazing stuff.

When I'm not sure and my dad (lives halfway across the world) pinterest is a life saver.

Brown stew chicken or beef/ox tail is all about browning the sugar in oil first. I add a scotch bonnet whole and thyme once its stewing down.

Trying to master rice and peas and pileau but I only get burnt pots. And crunchy rice. Any tips I'd also be grateful.

@extremity1. If your rice is burning at the bottom it’s probably because you’re cooking it at too high a temperature . It doesn’t matter what rice dish you’re cooking the principle is the same. Use the correct ratio of liquid to rice - 1 extra cup of liquid per cup of rice is usually right for most people. Cook the rice on medium heat until it just starts to bubble then turn heat right down to the lowest setting and let it steam cook. Covering with foil to trap in the heat also really helps. Use a fork to turn and fluff the rice gently whilst it’s cooking.

We love Pelau in this house almost as much as Jollof rice and Waakye (Ghanaian rice and beans). One of my oldest and dearest friends is Trini. She introduced me to fry bake and saltfish buljol, doubles, aloo pie, dhalpuri roti and of course Pelau. She also patiently taught me how to melt sugar in oil for browning and the perfect time to add the meat.

Place marking to read later.

West Indian food is the best. I am not biased

My sister was given this book by her college roommate it's something of a rite of passage in Trinidad.
I bought my own copy when I visited over a decade a go it's from trini but covers lots of Caribbean dishes and is really easy to follow.

My parents are trini but wasn't taught to cook but I've learned a few dishes from friends and the above book plus I can make jollof as was taught by a Ghanaian friend watching her and making it together a few times which is definitely the best way to learn.
I'm now really hungry...

@TeamGhanaJollof
She also patiently taught me how to melt sugar in oil for browning and the perfect time to add the meat.

So funny you mention this. I grew up doing this whenever making cook up rice and learned from my Tobogoan mother. I think I just learned it by osmosis. I never realized other people didn’t know! That gave me a warm memory of her so thank you. :)

I have their cookbook but all recipes are online. All kinds of meals!

originalflava.com

If just realised I have a very important question to ask.

BALLS. Specifically tamarind balls.

I've so far tried two different packs of tamarind and both were salty. Salty tamarind balls are 🤮

Does anybody know of the best way to buy sour tamarind, with seeds? I can't even find them at the grocery shops, those are all sweet tamarind.

Thx

I love this thread!
@latheritup Great link thanks!
I'm soaking fruit in rum and wine at the moment, and will try a black cake soon.

@EchoCardioGran

I love this thread! *@latheritup* Great link thanks! I'm soaking fruit in rum and wine at the moment, and will try a black cake soon.

Enjoy! As a Caribbean, I can confirm their recipes are accurate

Place marking. I've failed brown stew too many times and my rice and peas is still shit.

There's a recipe for macaroni pie in that Original Flava book, but I don't understand one of the ingredients - it lists out the cheeses that you need to use:

200g Mild cheddar
200g mature cheddar
200g Mozzarella
200g Four Cheese

But what's 'Four Cheese'? It's definitely a 'thing', because in the method it specifies using it:

Use a slightly deep tray and pour 1 layer of macaroni at base of tray
Then add your Mild cheddar
Then add another layer of macaroni
Then add your mature cheddar
Then another layer of macaroni
Then add 200g Mozzarella
Then layer of macaroni
Then 200g of four cheeses

Any ideas? I've googled but nothing comes up, other than quattro formaggio, etc.

This book is good for Caribbean recipes.

Thanks for this thread op, great idea!! @Daphine2004 I'll definitely try some of these recipes posted.

Ghanagirl123 I just got our copy of the Naparima Girls' High School cookbook down to check for rum cake!

@Destinysdaughter - that recipe looks just like mine learned from mum. The distinctive flavours derive from the thyme, scotch bonnet, pimento, escallion, ginger and coconut milk. Be careful of the peppers that they don’t burst - saw the Teri Ann video and was alarmed at how she was prodding the pepper. Probably should not let them boil for too long.
Nothing beats a good rice and peas

@BIWI that is strange! I googled it too, and it does actually look as though four cheese and Quattro Formaggi are the same 🤔

Also mixed race Indian T&T but can’t cook any of it properly... any recommendations for Indian trini food recipes online? I will check out the Terri Anne stew chicken, love that, although can’t see the rest of the family eating chicken on the bone, heathens! Great post.

@TeamGhanaJollof ta dah! I hope I did your fantastic jollof recipe justice. It was absolutely lovely. It’s definitely going to be a regular in our house from now on. Shito was obviously involved too

That looks delicious!
although I had to google what shito is

Thank you @Quaagars. It was lush. If you like spicy sauces then Shito is amazing. I buy it in Tesco, it’s made by Ghana Best. Happily for me I work with a lot of Ghanaians who feed my addiction and bring me in a jar or 3 when they make it at home.

There's what sounds like a lovely chicken recipe in this month's Olive magazine - Ma's stew chicken with coconut rice and peas, by Trinidadian cookery writer Shivi Ramoutar (@shiviramoutar on twitter).

The recipe hasn't been published online yet - or if it has I can't find it! - I'm guessing because it's in the current edition of the magazine.

But from what I've seen in the recipe it sounds like the brown chicken some of you have been talking about. It also sounds delicious!

She also cooked a version of this dish on Saturday Kitchen, but it was without the browning of the sugar here

@MrsCrosbyNRTB well done!!! That looks delicious, hope you all enjoyed it. xx