With a well-stocked cupboard and a jar of green seasoning in the fridge, you can cook most Trinidad and Tobago dishes on a weeknight. Here is what to keep in, and what to use when you can't find something.
Dry goods
- Parboiled rice. For pelau and everyday rice; it stays separate and forgiving.
- Yellow split peas. For dhal, corn soup and dhalpuri.
- Split pea flour. For pholourie; sometimes sold as dhal flour.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder and instant yeast. For bake, roti, bara and dumplings.
- Brown sugar. For browning and for sweet bread.
- Salted cod (saltfish). For buljol and accra.
Spices
- Trinidad-style curry powder. Look for it in Caribbean shops; it is the most important spice on this list.
- Geera (cumin). Whole and ground.
- Turmeric. For bara and pholourie.
- Whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg. For sorrel, sweet bread and black cake.
- Amchar masala. A roasted spice blend used in kuchela and some curries.
Cans and jars
- Pigeon peas. For pelau and stews.
- Chickpeas. For doubles and curry channa.
- Coconut milk. For pelau, callaloo and curries.
- Evaporated milk. For macaroni pie and drinks.
- Pepper sauce. Buy a good one, or make your own.
- Tamarind pulp. For tamarind sauce.
Fresh, every week
- Chadon beni (culantro). The signature herb.
- Chives, thyme and garlic. For green seasoning and nearly everything else.
- Scotch bonnet and pimento peppers. One hot, one mild.
- Onions, tomatoes and limes.
Substitutions that work
- Chadon beni: cilantro, used generously.
- Pimento peppers: a little sweet pepper plus a sliver of hot pepper.
- Trinidad curry powder: mild Madras curry powder with extra cumin.
- Dasheen bush: young spinach for callaloo.
- Pigeon peas: red kidney beans or black-eyed peas.
Storage tips
- Keep green seasoning in a clean jar in the fridge, or freeze it in ice-cube trays.
- Store whole spices in airtight jars away from the stove; they keep their flavour much longer than ground.
- Toast and grind small batches of geera so it stays fragrant.
Next, put the pantry to work with the five recipes in our beginner's guide.
