Trinidad and Tobago food can look complicated from the outside: lots of herbs, lots of steps, unfamiliar names. In practice, most dishes rest on a few techniques that repeat across almost everything. Learn those, and the rest falls into place.
Learn these four techniques first
- Seasoning ahead. Meat and fish are rubbed with green seasoning and left to marinate, often overnight. It is the single biggest difference between home-style Trinbago food and a quick imitation.
- Burning the curry. Curry powder is mixed to a paste and fried in oil until it darkens before anything else goes in. Don't skip it.
- Browning sugar. For pelau and stews, sugar is cooked in oil until nearly black-brown, then the meat goes in. Practise with a small amount first.
- The whole pepper. A whole Scotch bonnet pepper sits in the pot for fragrance and comes out before serving. Burst it only if you want real heat.
Cook these five recipes, in this order
- Green seasoning. Make a jar first: everything else uses it.
- Trinidad curry chicken. Teaches burning the curry.
- Trinidad pelau. Teaches browning, and makes a complete meal.
- Trinidad macaroni pie. Easy, and a perfect side for the first three.
- Trinidad doubles. Your first fry-bread project once you are comfortable.
A short shopping list
- Parboiled rice, canned pigeon peas, canned chickpeas, yellow split peas
- Trinidad-style curry powder and ground geera (cumin)
- Fresh chadon beni (or cilantro), chives, thyme, garlic, onions
- Scotch bonnet peppers
- Coconut milk, brown sugar, evaporated milk
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, instant yeast
For the full list, see Trinidadian pantry essentials.
Tools that help
- A heavy pot, ideally cast iron, for pelau and stews
- A flat griddle (tawa) or a large cast-iron pan for roti and bake
- A blender for green seasoning
- A wooden swizzle stick or stick blender for callaloo
Mistakes beginners make
- Not enough seasoning time. Thirty minutes is the minimum; overnight is better.
- Too much heat. Cook with a whole pepper, not a chopped one, until you know your crowd.
- Rushing the browning. It needs your full attention for three minutes.
- Watery curry. Let the meat cook in its own juices first, and add water a little at a time.
When you are ready, browse all our recipes or start with the easy ones.
