Trinidad Style Curried Potatoes Aloo With Green Beans And Shrimp Recipes

TRINI CHANA AND ALOO

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, add water to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming the foam, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until chickpeas are tender; drain, keeping the cooking water. (I like to use it later in the recipe; it's also a nice base for soups.)
• Meanwhile, purée the culantro and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth. Add a pinch of salt, the garlic and the chile. (Half a deseeded habanero will make the dish gently but noticeably hot. Adjust from there.) Blend until smooth. Stir the herb purée into the hot, drained chickpeas.
• Rinse and dry the pot. Peel the potato, and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. In the pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the curry powder and turmeric and stir, until very aromatic and just starting to darken. Carefully add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, until you get a little sticking on the bottom of the pot, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a little water to scrape up the stuck parts, then add water to cover by 1/2 inch. (I use the chickpea cooking water, but Dolly Sirju prefers fresh water.) Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
• Bring the pot to a vigorous simmer, shy of a full boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are soft, about 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Chop some more culantro. Serve the curry with long grain white rice or roti, and garnish with chopped culantro.

TRINIDAD-STYLE CURRIED POTATOES (ALOO) WITH GREEN BEANS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Toss the shrimp, white wine vinegar, seafood seasoning, and cumin together in a bowl.
• Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat; cook the onions in the oil until they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the celery, carrot, red bell pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Whisk the curry powder into 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl; pour into the pot while also adding the potatoes; mix to coat and allow to cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour in 2 cups hot water and bring mixture to a boil. Gently lie the green beans into the pot. Allow the mixture to simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro leaves over the mixture and season with salt and pepper just before serving.