Goat & Mutton

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

‘Daddy’s’ Curry (Serves 6)

Ok, this is my comfort food recipe, I am sure that we all have one of those from our childhood – our hug on a plate! My dad is from Guyana in the West Indies, and this is the curry that he grew up on. West Indian curry is totally different to Indian curries, it is not supposed to be particularly spicy, it is more of a stew with potatoes which is served with a ‘pepper sauce’ on the side to spice things up if you desire (try Encona Original Pepper Sauce ). Traditionally it is made with goat meat or mutton. Goat meat is now becoming quite popular in the UK, you should be able to order it from your butcher, otherwise it is available mail order from Coombe Farm Organic , unfortunately they only sell the diced meat off the bone which works, however the bone does give the finished dish more flavour. Often in the Caribbean, curry is served with rice and peas (kidney beans), but I like to serve it simply with plain, white, long grain rice, and with some fried plantain on the side. Plantain is another hug on a plate, and is a must as an accompaniment for this curry, if you can’t find it in your local supermarket you should be able to find it in a grocery store which sells Indian/African produce (click here for the recipe for Fried Plantain). I like to buy the ‘Rajah’ or ‘TRS’ brand of spices for this curry as I feel that the quality is more authentic, so if you can, shop for these – I buy them from my local Indian grocery shop.

*It is important to leave this curry 24hours before eating it in order to develop the flavours.

1.5kg shoulder of goat or mutton, 1kg diced meat and 500g of bone diced

1 onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 red chilli, chopped

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 heaped tablespoons of mild madras curry powder – see note above

1 level tablespoon ground cumin (jeera powder) – see note above

1 level tablespoon ground coriander (dhaniya powder) – see note above

2 teaspoons garam marsala

3-4 medium/large potatoes – peeled and halved or quartered

2½ teaspoons of salt

8 tablespoons water, plus 285ml

  1. Wash the meat and bones(to rinse it of blood), put to one side.
  2. Heat the oil, fry the onion, garlic and chilli over a medium heat until lightly browned.
  3. Meanwhile mix the curry powder, cumin, coriander and 1 teaspoon of the garam marsala with the 8 tablespoons of water to create a paste.
  4. Add the curry paste to the onion mixture and cook gently for a couple of minutes to thicken.
  5. Add the meat and bones, stirring well. Cook for 10 minutes, until water starts to be given off.
  6. Add the potatoes and salt, stir and place a lid on the pan, simmer over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally .
  7. Add 285ml water and cook for a further 30 minutes.
  8. Remove from the heat – it is now important to leave it overnight in the fridge so that the flavours develop.
  9. 24 hours later, reheat the curry and cook gently, over a low heat for 1 hour – if the sauce looks dry half way through cooking add a little extra water, but it should be fine without.
  10. Before serving, remove the bones, sprinkle over the remaining 1 teaspoon of garam marsala and stir.
  11. Serve with fried plantain and white, long grain rice with hot pepper sauce on the side – if desired (I prefer it without this added heat).