Duck Curry

by Cindy Yanasha Angulo in , ,

Duck curry has always been one of my favorite Guyanese dishes!  It tastes complex and seems like a lot of work, but once you get all of the ingredients, it's super easy to make!
Tip: Get a good-sized duck from your trusted butcher and ask him to skin, clean, and cut up the duck for curry/stew before you buy it.  This takes out a lot of the work!

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Time:  ~2.5 hours

Ingredients:

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  • 1 duck, chopped into smaller pieces for curry (I used a 10.5 lb one for this recipe)
  • 7 - 8 tablespoons Chief curry powder for duck/goat curry (you can also get a plain curry powder and add garam masala & geera masala, but this way is easier).
  • 2 -3 tablespoons salt 
  • 2 tablespoons cassareep (from the cassava root) - this is optional
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium rustic potatoes, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
  • ~5 cups water (enough to cover the meat in the pot) + additional for steaming the meat
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil  
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce or diced hot pepper (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon dried methi leaves (fenu-greek leaves)

Recipe:

  1. Use a large pot filled with boiling water to steam out the duck meat before cooking it.  Let it boil for about 15 - 20 minutes.
  2. Strain the meat then put the pot back onto the stove and turn the heat back on. 
  3. Add the vegetable oil, chopped onion, and garlic.  Stir and let sit for about 30 seconds - 1 minute.  Then add your meat back to the pot.
  4. Sprinkle the curry powder over the meat, stir to coat evenly. 
  5. Pour the water over the meat so that it just about covers the top layer of meat, add in the dried thyme, methi leaves, and bring this to a boil.  You'll want to cover it so that it gets boiling quicker since there's so much meat!
  6. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn; add more water if needed.  Add the potatoes after 35 minutes.  
  7. After another 20 minutes, taste the curry for salt, then add if needed.  You can also add curry powder if you feel the flavor isn't strong enough.  At this point you can add the pepper or pepper sauce if you want, and any additional spices if the flavor isn't what you prefer.
  8. Once the meat is tender, you can leave it uncovered and let the water dry down.  This will thicken into a nice sauce for the meat. 
  9. Serve with rice or roti and enjoy!
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Kalonji with Shrimp

by Cindy Yanasha Angulo in , , , ,

Bitter melon - bitter gourd - karela.. no matter what you call it, it is delicious pan-fried and filled with curried shrimp!  Try this fantastic Guyanese dish for dinner tonight!

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Time: Approx 1 hour - makes 4 kalonji (double this recipe to make 8)

Ingredients:

  • 2 bitter melons (karela) - get ones that are wide so you can scoop out the seeds and stuff them
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground geera (ground cumin)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1.5 cups raw peeled & de-veined shrimp
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced or finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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Recipe:

  1. Set a pot of 3 cups water + 1 teaspoon salt to boil.
  2. Cut off the ends of the karela (bitter melon) so the tips and stem are off but the end is not open (you need it closed so you can stuff it later).
  3. Put the karela to boil in the pot for 15 mins, turning it every so often so it boils on all sides.
  4. In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil to medium heat and add chopped garlic and onion until golden brown. 
  5. Next, add the shrimp to the pan - and the remaining teaspoon of salt, curry powder, ground geera, garam masala, and coriander. 
  6. By now the karela should be ready for straining.  Strain and wash with cold water so it cools off soon.
  7. Fry the shrimp in the curry mixture until cooked through - then move it to another bowl. 
  8. When the karela is cooled enough to handle without burning yourself, cut both of them in half.  Scoop out the seeds with a spoon so you have 4 hollow pieces. 
  9. Fill about 2-3 spoonfuls of the shrimp mixture inside each karela.  Press it in with the back of your spoon so it's tightly packed.
  10. Turn the stove back on with the same pan that you fried your shrimp in, let it get to medium heat. 
  11. Add each piece of stuffed karela to the pan and pan-sear on all sides so that the outer edge of the karela is browned. 
  12. Serve over a plate of homemade rice and dhal (as pictured) - enjoy!
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