Jamaican goat curry makes use of fiery Scotch bonnet chillies, something I wouldn't ordinarily see in rural Andalucía, but thanks to my last visit to Granada, I still have a few left in my freezer.

After the abolition of slavery in the 1800s, thousands of migrants flocked from India to work in the Caribbean plantations until stopped by the Indian government at the outbreak of World War I. A substantial number of them stayed on the Caribbean islands, as there was a shortage of ships, German submarines and the Indian government did not want them back anyway, so they had little choice.

Anyway, this passage in Indo-Jamaica history is where the curry influence comes in.

From marinade to plate – Jamaican goat curry with scotch bonnet - Casa Adora

Marinade for Jamaican goat curry

First up, thinly slice an onion and fry it slowly until it is soft and golden brown. Set aside.
1kg goat meat, chopped, bones and all
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon kitchen king masala (I just had to use it)
½ teaspoon turmeric
One large onion, sliced
Grated ginger, about one heaped teaspoon
3 or 4 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
One scotch bonnet, sliced and most seeds removed
Juice of half lemon
Small pot Greek yoghurt
Pinch sea salt
Good grind of black pepper, in fact lots and lots

Mix the above together and allow marinating in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and bring up to room temperature.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and brown the meat, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Once the meat is brown slice another onion and add that to the pan together with the marinade. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Add a big dollop of tomato purée. Stir and cook for one minute.

Add 400ml hot water, cover and allow the meat to simmer for one hour.

Peel and dice one large sweet potato (I added a chopped yellow pepper and a sliced purple carrot) and add that to the pan. Stir, cover and cook for 20 minutes. The purple carrot is optional but worth using if you have one – I wrote about why they deserve more attention in Purple is the New Orange.

Add the brown onions and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes, by which time the liquid should have reduced, the potatoes are soft and the meat has started to fall off the bone.

And cannabis (ganja) was introduced to Jamaica from India, and smoking it makes you walk like a Jamaican.

FOOTNOTE

This recipe is part of my Curry Recipes and Lamb & Goat collections — explore both for more ideas from Casa Adora and beyond.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.