west indian

Make the most of aubergines with this vegan curry. Low in fat yet packed with flavour, you can serve it with rice or roti

West Indian spiced aubergine curry

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

aubergine

tomato purée

½ green chilli

ginger

tsp caster sugar

½-1 tbsp rapeseed oil

spring onions

coriander

cooked rice, natural yogurt, roti and lime wedges, to serve

Mix the dry spices and 1 tsp salt together in a bowl and set aside.

Slice the aubergine into 1cm rounds, then score both sides of each round with the tip of a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/kitchen-knives-how-buy-best">sharp knife</a>. Rub with the spice mix until well coated (you should use all of the mix), then transfer to a board. Put 150ml water in the empty spice bowl with the tomato purée, chilli, ginger and sugar. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-non-stick-frying-pans">non-stick frying pan</a> over a medium heat and arrange the aubergine in the pan, overlapping the rounds if needed. Fry for 5 mins on each side, or until golden. Add the liquid mix from the bowl, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 mins, turning the aubergine occasionally until it&rsquo;s cooked through. If it seems dry, you may need to add up to 100ml more water to make it saucier. Season.

Scatter over the spring onions and coriander, and serve with rice, yogurt, roti and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Cracked conch is a deep-fried dish that’s a bit like fried calamari, though much more filling and flavorful. Served with fries, rice and beans, or coleslaw, cracked conch is a hearty meal that’s great for lunch or dinner.

Cracked Conch Bahamas Style

Conch

Eggs, beaten

Evaporated milk

Salt

Pepper

All-Purpose Flour

If you haven’t done so already, clean your...

If you haven’t done so already, clean your conch by removing all the dark skin and meat. You should be left with only white meat.

Pound your conch meat with a metal mallet...

Pound your conch meat with a metal mallet until it’s thin and tender.

Slice conch into strips.

Grab a bowl and mix together your eggs,...

Grab a bowl and mix together your eggs, condensed milk, salt, and pepper.

Dip your conch strips into the milky mixture...

Dip your conch strips into the milky mixture one-by-one, ensuring that all areas of the meat are covered.

Roll each strip in your flour, again ensuring...

Roll each strip in your flour, again ensuring full coverage.

Warm up about a 1/4-inch of cooking oil...

Warm up about a 1/4-inch of cooking oil in your pot. Once it’s hot, start adding your strips of conch.

Cook ’em until they’re a nice, light golden...

Cook ’em until they’re a nice, light golden brown, then fish ’em out and place them on a dish lined with paper towels to sop up the excess cooking oil.Allow the conch to cool a bit, pair with your choice of side, and serve. When enjoying, try a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors.

Serve your vegetable curry Caribbean style, flavoured with thyme, jerk seasoning and red peppers – great with rice and peas

Jerk sweet potato & black bean curry

onions, 1 diced, 1 roughly chopped

sunflower oil

ginger, roughly chopped

coriander, leaves

tbsp jerk seasoning

thyme

can chopped tomato

tbsp red wine vinegar

tbsp demerara sugar

vegetable stock cubes,

1kg sweet potato,

jar roasted red pepper,

Gently soften the diced onion in the sunflower oil in a big pan or casserole.

Meanwhile, whizz together the roughly chopped onion, ginger, coriander stalks and jerk seasoning with a hand-held blender. Add to the softened onion and fry until fragrant. Stir in the thyme, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and stock cubes with 600ml water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 mins, then drop in the sweet potatoes and simmer for 10 mins more. Stir in the beans, peppers and some seasoning, and simmer for another 5 mins until the potatoes are almost tender. Cool and chill for up to 2 days.

To serve, gently heat through on the hob. Roughly chop most of the coriander leaves and stir in, then serve scattered with the remaining leaves.

Prepare this vegetarian curry in just 15 minutes. Packed with sweet potato, cabbage, tomatoes and red peppers, it contains all five of your five-a-day

West Indian sweet potato curry

tsp rapeseed oil

red onions,

ginger,

tbsp Madras curry powder

allspice

can chopped tomatoes

sachet coconut milk

thyme leaves

gluten-free vegetable bouillon

potatoes,

white cabbage,

red peppers, chopped

brown basmati

red onion, chopped

garlic cloves, chopped

vegetable bouillon

black-eyed beans

Heat the oil in a very large nonstick frying pan, add the onions and ginger, and cook for 5 mins. Add the curry powder and allspice, then pour in the tomatoes plus a can of water, the coconut milk, thyme and bouillon.

Add the sweet potatoes, cabbage and peppers, cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 mins or until all the vegetables are tender but with a little bite, topping up with a little water if looking dry.

Meanwhile, tip the rice into a pan with the onion, garlic, thyme and bouillon. Pour in 600ml water, cover and cook for 25 mins or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender – check towards the end to make sure it isn’t catching. Stir in the beans and heat through. If you're following our Healthy Diet Plan, serve half the rice with half the curry (saving the leftovers for a second meal later in the week). Otherwise you can serve four portions, scattered with a few extra thyme leaves, if you like.

Johnny Cake! These fluffy-fried, golden-sweet, semi-flattened spheres of pure goodness are THE staple snack food back home, found on every menu at every local restaurant worth anything everywhere across the island.

Caribbean Johnny Cake Recipe

Baking Powder

Sugar

Room Temperature Butter

Water

Flour

Mix dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, sugar,...

Mix dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt – in a large mixing bowl using a large fork.

Work in the butter with your fingers. It’s...

Work in the butter with your fingers. It’s like making a pie crust.

Add about 1 cup of water to your...

Add about 1 cup of water to your large bowl by stirring it in with a fork. Add a little more water, about ¼ cup at a time.

Keep stirring until the mixture forms a soft...

Keep stirring until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the...

Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes to allow the ingredients to blend and gluten to form. You may have to add a few sprinkles of flour at a time to keep the dough from becoming too tacky or sticky. If you under knead the gluten will not have a chance to form a good dough. If you over-knead the dough will be rubbery.

Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Flour your hands and your counter-top. Make about...

Flour your hands and your counter-top. Make about 12-15 round balls of dough and set them aside.

Heat the oil in your frying pan. While...

Heat the oil in your frying pan. While the oil is heating, use a rolling pin to flatten out each ball. Do not flatten them too much or they will be like crackers. When a drop of water pops in the pot it is ready for frying.

Fry a few at a time in the...

Fry a few at a time in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot – that will make them greasy. When the underside is golden brown, flip it over. Do not flip each over more than once. I use tongs like a preacher uses the Bible. Tongs are great for frying because they don’t poke the food. Fry each until both sides are golden brown.

Drain each on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Crispy, crunchy dough with the raised welts and blisters fried into place where the hot oil met and melted the fat in the mixture in a puff of steam. The Caribbean pate is food heaven!

Caribbean Beef Pate

Lean Ground Beef

Yellow Onion Diced

Garlic

Green Bell Pepper

Red Bell Pepper

Peppers

Cilantro

Thyme

Tomato Paste

All Purpose Flour

Cold Shortening

Directions – Meat FillingIn a skillet, heat just...

Directions – Meat FillingIn a skillet, heat just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is sufficiently hot, add diced onion, red and green bell peppers, seasoning peppers, garlic, and thyme. Cook until onions and green peppers are entirely softened and translucent. Then add ground beef and cook until done.Sprinkle cilantro over the mixture and add the tomato paste. Feel free to add a little water if necessary to keep the mixture from sticking. But the goal is to keep the “sauce/water/oil” content to a minimum so that it doesn’t make the pastry soggy or greasy after frying. Add salt and black pepper to taste or even some “hot” peppers to your taste, if you enjoy a more spicy filling as I do. Set aside in a large bowl.

Directions – Pate ShellMeasure out the two cups...

Directions – Pate ShellMeasure out the two cups of flour by using the “Dip and Sweep” Method I described in Contessa Tip #4. Flour can become compacted during processing. So, if you want a more accurate measurement of the flour you are using, aerate the flour by dipping your measuring spoon into the bag and letting it fall back into the bag. Do this a couple of times before scooping out the measured amount. Then use the back of a knife to sweep off any excess. This will ensure you don’t have too much flour in your dough which can change the texture of the outcome.In a food processor, place the dry ingredients – flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Run the machine for a few seconds to mix all the ingredients evenly. Add the cold shortening and pulse 10 times to break the fat consistently into the flour mixture. Finally, stream the cold water into the mixture as the machine is running. It should start to pull away from the sides and form a ball.The dough may seem slightly crumbly, but it will all come together during kneading. Knead the dough for about a minute to bring it all together. Form a flat disc, and let it rest for around an hour.TIP: I used parchment paper to knead the dough into the disc shape. This kept me from having to add flour which would change the texture of the dough.

Directions – Putting it all togetherOnce the meat...

Directions – Putting it all togetherOnce the meat mixture is completely cool. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. I tried to quantify how thin it should be, but my ruler wouldn’t let me. Best guess: shoot for about 1/16th of an inch.Tip: If you don’t have a French Rolling Pin, you’ll want to get one. I love the control I get from using this type of rolling pin rather than the traditional one.After rolling out the dough, use a small bowl about 5 inches and a pastry cutter to make the circles. Add the meat mixture to the center of the pate, leave sufficient room to close the pate with at least an inch border for sealing.In a separate bowl beat together the egg and water and with the tip of your finger trace half of the circle. Fold the other half of the dough over the meat mixture and press to seal with a fork.Place enough oil in your fryer for the pates to deep fry. Let the oil get very hot. Lowering or raising the temperature of the fryer as you see fit throughout the frying process.Very gently, without splashing the oil, drop one or two pates (depending on the size of your fryer) into the oil and let fry until puffy and golden brown.

Top 6 west indian recipes from across the web

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West Indian spiced aubergine curry

Cracked Conch Bahamas Style

Jerk sweet potato & black bean curr...

West Indian sweet potato curry

Caribbean Johnny Cake Recipe

Caribbean Beef Pate

Top 6 west indian recipes from across the web

The most viewed west indian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

West Indian spiced aubergine curry

Cracked Conch Bahamas Style

Jerk sweet potato & black bean curr...

West Indian sweet potato curry

Caribbean Johnny Cake Recipe

Caribbean Beef Pate

The most viewed west indian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine