Trinidad Curry Chicken

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp curry powder (Chief brand), for the marinade
• ¼ tsp geera (ground cumin), for the marinade
• 2 tbsp fresh green seasoning (blended culantro, herbs, garlic and peppers)
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp whole geera (cumin) seeds
• ¼ cup julienned onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp pimento peppers or jalapeños, chopped
• 2 tbsp curry powder (Chief brand)
• 1 tbsp geera (ground cumin)
• ¾ tbsp garam masala
• ¾ tbsp ground turmeric
• 1¾ cups water
• 1 tbsp chadon beni (culantro), minced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

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1. Season the chicken pieces with the salt, pepper, ½ tsp curry powder, ¼ tsp ground geera, green seasoning and chives, rubbing it in well. Marinate at least 2 hours, or overnight. 1:08
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Toast the geera seeds for 10 seconds, then add the onion, garlic and pimento peppers and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant. 4:11
3. Add the curry powder, ground geera, garam masala and turmeric and stir in the hot oil for about 2 minutes to cook the spices. 6:37
4. Pour in 1 cup of the water and cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until it reduces by half to a thick curry paste. 8:56
5. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook 6–8 minutes so the chicken releases its juices, then add the remaining ¾ cup water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. 10:09
6. Uncover and simmer 4–6 minutes more to thicken the sauce, then stir in the chadon beni and season with salt and pepper. 12:17

Tip. Serve with rice, roti, or boiled provisions as the cook suggests. Coriander leaves can stand in for chadon beni. Time includes 2 hours of marinating.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.