Curry goat is a celebration curry, cooked for weddings, prayers and Sunday tables, and worth the long simmer. Goat is lean and full of connective tissue, so it needs slow cooking to turn tender.
Like all Trinidad curries it starts by burning the curry: curry powder and geera mixed to a paste and cooked in hot oil until it darkens and smells toasty, before the meat goes in. Then the goat cooks in its own juices before any water is added.
Ask the butcher to cut the goat into small, bone-in pieces. The bones give the gravy its depth.
The recipe
Curry Goat
Prep
25 min
Cook
2 hr 15 min
Seasoning the meat
1 hr
Total
3 hr 40 min
Serves
6
Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.
Servings
Ingredient amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pot size may need adjusting too.
Ingredients
Tick items off as you gather them.
For the goat
For the curry
Method
Season the goat
Rinse the goat in cold water with the juice of the lime, then drain well.
Mix in the green seasoning, chopped onion, garlic and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Burn the curry
Mix the curry powder, geera and amchar masala with the ⅓ cup (80 ml) water to make a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the sliced onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
Add the curry paste and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until it darkens, thickens and smells toasty. Don't let it scorch: turn the heat down if it catches.
Cook the goat
Add the goat and all its seasoning and stir until every piece is coated. Cover and cook in its own juices over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
Add 2 cups (480 ml) of the hot water and the whole pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring now and then and adding more hot water when the gravy gets low.
If you are adding potatoes, put them in for the last 30 minutes.
The goat is ready when the meat pulls away from the bone easily. Uncover and simmer for a few minutes if the gravy is thin; it should be thick enough to coat the meat.
Taste for salt, lift out the pepper without bursting it, and stir in the chadon beni.
Serve it with
Dhalpuri roti or buss up shut
Plain white rice and dhal
Curry mango and kuchela on the side
Substitutions
Pressure cooker: after browning in the curry, add 2 cups (480 ml) water and cook at high pressure for 40 to 45 minutes. Release and simmer uncovered to thicken.
Lamb or mutton: cook the same way; lamb may be tender a little sooner.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot all the way through.
Cook's notes
Burning the curry properly takes away the raw, dusty taste of the powder. Keep stirring and adjust the heat.
