The Trinbago kitchen
Shop the tools, spices and staples we cook with
Six tools, eight spices and six dry goods do most of the work in our kitchen: a heavy pot and a tawa, curry powder and geera for every curry, and the split peas, flour and rice that go into dhal, roti and pelau.
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Category
Tools
We use every one of these. The ones in our kitchen aren’t always the exact model linked here, and some we’ve had for years, so each link is to one like ours. You don’t need all six to start: a heavy pot and a tawa will take you through most of the recipes on this site.
01
A heavy pot
Sold on Amazon as a traditional caldero
A heavy, thick-walled pot holds its heat evenly, which is what you need to brown sugar for pelau without burning it, and to let stews and curries cook down slowly. Get one with a tight-fitting lid.
Use it for Pelau, Breadfruit oil down, Curry duck, Stew chicken
02
A tawa
Sold on Amazon as a 12.6-inch double-handled griddle
The flat, round griddle for roti. It needs to be wide enough for a full-size roti and heavy enough to stay hot while you cook one after another.
Use it for Sada roti, Dhalpuri, Buss up shut, Pepper roti
03
A blender
Sold on Amazon as a countertop blender
For green seasoning by the jar, and for the punches. A strong motor matters more than a long list of settings.
Use it for Green seasoning, Peanut punch, Sea moss punch, Beetroot punch
04
A wooden swizzle stick
Sold on Amazon as a wooden whisk (mathani)
The traditional tool for swizzling dhal smooth and for callaloo. Spun between your palms, it breaks everything down without turning it to paste.
05
A stick blender
Sold on Amazon as an immersion blender
The shortcut: blend callaloo, dhal or sea moss gel right in the pot. Take the pot off the heat first.
Use it for Callaloo, Dhal, Sea moss punch
06
A pastelle press
Sold on Amazon as a tortilla press
We still use the pastelle press our grandfather made, and this one is very like it. It comes out mostly at Christmas, to press the cornmeal dough thin for pastelles, but it earns its place all year: use it for tortillas, or to press out loyahs (roti dough balls) instead of rolling them.
Category
Essential Spices
The spices our recipes call for again and again. Four are Chief, made in Trinidad. If you are starting out, curry powder and geera cover every curry on this site; add turmeric for dhal and doubles, and nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves when baking and sorrel season come round.
01
Duck and goat curry
Sold on Amazon as Chief spicy powder, made in Trinidad and Tobago
A spicier curry blend for duck and goat, the meats that cook long and slow. Use it in place of some or all of the curry powder in those two recipes.
Use it for Curry duck, Curry goat
02
Curry powder
Sold on Amazon as Chief curry powder, made in Trinidad and Tobago
The Trinidad-style curry powder our curries are written for. Mix it to a paste with water and burn it in hot oil before the meat goes in: that is what takes away the raw taste.
Use it for Curry chicken, Curry channa and aloo, Curry shrimp, Doubles
03
Geera (cumin)
Sold on Amazon as Chief roasted geera, ground cumin
Roasted ground cumin, the smoky note in curries, dhal and doubles. Every curry on this site uses it, and some also fry whole seeds in the oil first.
Use it for Dhal, Curry mango, Pumpkin talkari, Bodi and potato
04
Turmeric (saffron powder)
Sold on Amazon as Chief saffron powder, ground turmeric
In Trinidad, ground turmeric is called saffron. It gives dhal, doubles and dhalpuri their yellow colour. It is not the costly saffron threads used in Spanish cooking.
05
Amchar masala
Sold on Amazon as Chief amchar massala
A roasted spice blend made for amchar, pickled green mango. A teaspoon in the curry paste gives meat curries and curry mango a deeper, roasted flavour.
Use it for Curry mango, Pumpkin talkari, Curry goat, Curry beef
06
Ground nutmeg
Sold on Amazon as Amazon Grocery ground nutmeg
For the sweet side of the kitchen: a pinch in the punches and ponche de crème, more in black cake and sweet bread.
Use it for Ponche de crème, Peanut punch, Black cake, Coconut sweet bread
07
Cinnamon sticks
Sold on Amazon as McCormick cinnamon sticks
Whole sticks go into the pot for sorrel, mauby and sea moss, and come out before serving.
Use it for Sorrel, Mauby, Sea moss punch, Ginger beer
08
Whole cloves
Sold on Amazon as Badia whole cloves
Sorrel, mauby and ginger beer all steep with a few whole cloves, and the Christmas ham is studded with them before it is glazed.
Use it for Sorrel, Christmas ham, Mauby, Ginger beer
Category
Essential Dry Goods
The staples behind dhal, roti and pelau. Split peas and flour do the most work: between them they make dhal, dhalpuri, sada roti, doubles and pholourie.
01
Yellow split peas
Sold on Amazon as Goya yellow split peas
For dhal and the filling in dhalpuri, and to thicken corn soup and cow heel soup. Rinse them well and pick out any small stones before they go in the pot.
Use it for Dhal, Dhalpuri, Corn soup, Cow heel soup
02
Split pea flour
Sold on Amazon as Chief ground split peas
Ground split peas, the base of pholourie batter. It saves soaking and grinding the peas yourself.
Use it for Pholourie
03
Parboiled rice
Sold on Amazon as converted (parboiled) long grain rice
Parboiled rice holds its shape in a one-pot cook, so pelau comes out with separate grains instead of mush. Rinse it until the water runs clear.
Use it for Pelau, Ochro rice with pigtails, Bhagi rice with pigtails
04
All-purpose flour
Sold on Amazon as Five Roses all-purpose flour
One flour for roti, bake, doubles and dumplings, and for most of the baking on this site.
Use it for Sada roti, Coconut bake, Doubles, Curry crab and dumplings
05
Baking powder
Sold on Amazon as Rumford baking powder
What makes sada roti puff and bake rise. Check the date on the tin: old baking powder gives a flat roti.
Use it for Sada roti, Buss up shut, Bake and shark, Trini sponge cake
06
Instant yeast
Sold on Amazon as SAF instant yeast
For hops bread, doubles and pholourie. Instant yeast can be mixed straight into the flour, with no need to dissolve it in water first.
Use it for Hops bread, Doubles, Pholourie
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