Trinidad curry chicken has a thick, deeply spiced sauce that is made for scooping and soaking. What you put next to it decides whether it is a quick weeknight dinner or a weekend feast.
Breads
- Buss up shut. Flaky, torn paratha roti, the most popular partner. Tear off a piece and use it to pick up chicken and sauce.
- Dhalpuri. Roti filled with a fine layer of seasoned split peas. Often wrapped around the curry to make a roti parcel.
- Sada roti. Plain and quick to make, good if you are new to roti.
Rice and dhal
Plain white rice with a bowl of yellow split-pea dhal poured over it is the other classic. The dhal is thin and soupy, seasoned with garlic and cumin, and it balances the richness of the curry.
Vegetable sides
These are the talkaris (curried or stewed vegetable dishes) you will often see alongside curry chicken:
- Pumpkin talkari. Sweet, soft, lightly spiced pumpkin.
- Curry channa and aloo. Chickpeas and potato in curry, which also makes a good meat-free main.
- Bodi (long beans) with potato. Stir-fried or curried.
- Bhaji. Spinach or dasheen leaves cooked down with garlic.
Chutneys and pickles
A little sharp or sweet sauce on the side lifts the whole plate.
- Mango kuchela. Grated green mango cooked with masala and oil until dark. Very sour, very spicy.
- Tamarind sauce. Sweet and sour.
- Cucumber chutney. Grated cucumber with garlic and chadon beni, cool and fresh.
- Pepper sauce. For anyone who wants more heat.
A weeknight plate and a weekend spread
Weeknight: curry chicken, rice and a quick cucumber chutney.
Weekend: curry chicken, buss up shut, pumpkin talkari, curry channa and aloo, mango kuchela and tamarind sauce, with sorrel or a cold drink alongside.
Drinks
Something cold and sweet balances the heat: sorrel at Christmas, mauby, lime juice or coconut water the rest of the year.
