Goat Curry
Overview
Curry goat is Jamaican, and the source treats it as such throughout. Goat is marinated overnight in curry powder, garlic, ginger, thyme, onion and scotch bonnet, then cooked slowly until tender, and it is one of the dishes most identified with Jamaican cooking. Its origins run through India rather than Africa. Indentured Indian labourers brought curry to the Caribbean in the nineteenth century, and Jamaican curry powder developed there as a distinct blend, heavier on turmeric and allspice than its Indian ancestors. The dish that resulted is neither Indian nor African but Jamaican, and it is claimed as such. Goat itself is eaten widely across Africa and there are many African goat dishes this is not: Nigerian asun, the peppered smoked goat; Kenyan and Tanzanian mbuzi choma, grilled over charcoal; Moroccan mechoui, the slow-roasted whole animal; Ethiopian goat tibs. This entry sits in Worldwide Recipes under Caribbean, with its URL unchanged. Goat's high collagen content is what makes it suit long cooking: it breaks down into gelatine and gives the sauce body no other meat quite matches.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Mix all the ingredients together except the potatoes and the scotch bonnet pepper.
- 2
Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
- 3
Transfer to a pot, add 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 30 minutes.
- 4
Add the potatoes, adjust the seasoning to taste and add the scotch bonnet pepper.
- 5
Slow cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- 6
Adjust the thickness of the sauce with water or stock as needed.
Africook’s Notes
- Marinate for the full 24 to 48 hours. Goat is a tough meat and the long marinade does as much work as the cooking.
- Add the scotch bonnet whole and late, and lift it out before serving if you want the aroma without the full heat.
- Use Jamaican curry powder if you can find it. It is heavier on turmeric and allspice than Indian blends and it is what makes the dish taste Jamaican.
- A pressure cooker cuts the cooking dramatically. Without one, allow two to three hours of gentle simmering.
- Goat is high in collagen, which is why it suits long cooking: it breaks down into gelatine and gives the sauce a body no other meat matches.
- It is better on the second day, which is worth knowing when planning.
Reviews
2 reviews
I was worried that just 1 cup of water wouldn't be enough for 3.5 lbs of meat in the pressure cooker, thought it would give me a burn notice abeg. But the goat released its own broth during those 30 minutes. Got nice fresh goat chunks from the halal market here in Baltimore. Meat was falling off the bone by the time the potatoes softened up sha.
herh, 48 hours marinating is long oo but it makes the goat meat so soft paa. My auntie in Tamale doesn't use pressure cooker, she just lets it simmer slow on charcoal, but doing 30 mins in the pressure pot saved me so much gas. The 5 tablespoons of curry powder gave it such a deep yellow color. Very nice dish for Sunday family lunch.