Authentic Curry Goat Recipe | Trinidad (2024)

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Spring is finally here! I yearned for her like a maiden yearned for her love. Maybe more than that. I haven’t posted in a while and it’s not for a lack of recipes or creativity. I’ve been busy cooking, developing and testing recipes, eating, reading, watching movies with my hubby, gaining weight, and complaining (mostly about the weather).

Curry Goat–A Trinidadian favorite:

For those of you who are not familiar, curry goat is another very popular dish in Trinidad, as well as Jamaica. It does not boast a mild curry like curried chicken. It’s a special occasion, an iconic meal that celebrates our passion for good food and camaraderie, keeping in mind that every weekend or any day during the week on the Islands can and will qualify as a special event.

During one of my vacations back home, I remember the presence of a goat in my mother-in-law’s backyard. One hot, sunny day, we were served a “memorable” meal of curry goat, peas dhal and dhalpourie roti.

After that day, I don’t recall hearing the goat behhhhh! This is not an uncommon occurrence either. This incident was not intended to dismay you in any bizarre food way, but to point out that mealtime in the land of sun, sea, and steelpan occasionally consists of the freshest of local ingredients—can’t get any more local than that!

What is the difference between Trini Curry Goat and Jamaican Curry Goat?

I also love the “curry goat” from Jamaica. It’s made a little differently, but still rather delicious. In my experience, it’s more tender, probably cooked longer than the Trinidadian dish (in a pressure cooker), and the curry appears lighter in color. Many Jamaicans also do not cook the curry in the hot oil; rather they season the goat with the curry powder.

I decided to meld both experiences to create this simple, delicious recipe that my family enjoys and that you will too.

How to cook curry goat?

The technique and ingredients vary slightly from curried chicken. The curry flavor is more pronounced because of the quantity of curry used; some like it with lots of heat (hot pepper), but you may only add it based on your preference. Curry is not spicy in itself, as believed; it’s the addition of the hot pepper that makes it spicy.

How to season goat for curry goat?

I used green seasoning in this recipe because this is the reason we Trinis always have a bottle of green seasoning in our refrigerator. Many of our dishes have become so much simpler! See the list of ingredients below. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? If you don’t have green seasoning, see here, belowor you may just use 4-6 scallions, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 sprigs of thyme (in addition to the other ingredients listed below).

VIDEO TUTORIAL

There is no challenge in making curried goat, it’s just requires a simple technique which I demonstrate below….and patience waiting for it to cook!

Trinidad Curry Goat Recipe

Serves 8

4 pounds goat meat, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
½ lemon

To season goat
½ cup green seasoning
1 tablespoon minced culantro
¾ onion, small, chopped (I use sweet onion)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Hot pepper, to taste (habanero, scotch bonnet or congo pepper)
1 tbs salt (I use Himalayan Salt) and freshly ground black pepper

To cook goat:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oi
¼ onion, sliced
Hot pepper
2 ½ tablespoons ‘Trinidad’ curry powder
2 teaspoons duck and goat curry powder (ground massala)
2 tsp amchar masala
½ tsp ground cumin
6 thyme sprigs
6 leaves culantro (bandhania), chopped

Note: Duck and goat curry, also called ground masala, is sold in West Indian or Caribbean Grocers in Brooklyn, NY and Queens, NY(Liberty Ave.), or pick up a package on your next trip to Trinidad(Brand: Cariherb). If you don’t have any, replace the amount with regular curry powder

1. Cut goat into 1-2 inch pieces, or to your preference. Soak with the juice of ½ a lemon or lime. Then rinse several times with water; rubbing the meat with your fingers to remove any slime. Drain.

2. Season goat meat with the green seasoning, minced culantro/bandhania, onion, garlic, hot pepper (if using), salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate up to 24 hours.

3. Make curry mixture: In a small bowl mix curry powders(curry, duck and goat curry and amchar massala), green seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.

4. Heat oil in medium heavy bottomed pot(iron pot). Add reserved onion slices (and hot pepper if using) and cook until the edges are brown. Add curry mixture and cook 3-5 minutes until it darkens, becomes grainy and fragrant and separated from the oil.

5. Add goat meat (reserve any liquid from the bowl), thyme sprigs and turn to coat with curry. Cook on high heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cover, lower heat to medium-low and cook until it starts to stick to pan and all the liquid has evaporated(takes about 20 minutes), checking and stirring occasionally. Cook one minute more, stirring constantly, to develop some serious flavor. This is a good time to taste for salt. Add more if needed.

6. Add reserved marinating liquid and 4 cups of water(or enough to cover the meat by one inch), bring to boil, reduce heat to gentle simmer and cook 1-2 more hours–stirring every 15 minutes or so–until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. If the liquid evaporates and the meat is still not tender enough for you, add about a cup more water and continue cooking until your desired tenderness is achieved.

[Pic to the left: Cooking curry in my garage]

7. Before taking off the heat, stir in chopped culantro (2 tbs) and cumin powder(1/4 tsp or more to your liking).

Remove thyme sprigs and serve over rice or eat with dhalpourie or paratha roti. To reheat, remove from the refrigerator, place in a saucepan with a little water and boil for a minute or two, adding a little salt if required.

If you like my blog, say thanks by liking my FB page and sharing this recipe!

With love,

Ria

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• FRESHLY STEAMED JASMINE RICE ANDSTEWED RED BEANS(CLICK FOR RECIPE)OR
• DHAL AND RICEOR
• DHALPURI ROTI (DHALPOURIE ROTI)
• PARATHA ROTI
• SADA ROTI