Caribbean Lamb Curry

Caribbean lamb curry is fresh, aromatic, and spicy. Simple to prepare, this fragrant dish is a beautiful introduction to Caribbean cooking.

  

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If you want to try your hand at a traditional Caribbean dish, this West Indian Lamb curry is a great place to start.

The lamb is marinated in a traditional green seasoning, adding depth of flavor and ensuring that the meat is tender. Green seasoning is used in a lot of Caribbean food, and once you’ve learned how to make it, you’ll be able to give any dish a West Indian twist.

This recipe for Caribbean lamb curry is easy to make. So even if you aren’t confident in the kitchen, you won’t have any problems creating a tasty meal!

It takes some time to prepare, but you will spend most of the time slowly cooking the lamb to give it a deeper flavor and more succulent texture - which is a great way to spend a relaxed Sunday afternoon.

Curries are a healthy and satisfying meal that the whole family will enjoy. If you’d like some more curry inspiration, why not try this Trinidad curry chicken or, for something a little different, spicy curry conch.

  

Ingredients

Don't get too worried about the list of ingredients. It's very important to build flavors here with the lamb.

To season the lamb:

• Lamb is the base so you must get good quality meat. I like to use this boneless lamb stew meat from Wild Fork if I can't find it at my butchers. It’s grass-fed, which means less fatty and higher in nutrients like Omega-3.
• Green seasoning is used in Caribbean cooking to marinate meat in curries and stews and add extra punch to soup and rice dishes. You can make it by blending fresh herbs and aromatic spices; check out my green seasoning recipe to see how. Alternatively, you can generally find it in larger grocery stores, specialty food stores, or Amazon.
• Garlic cloves should be crushed rather than chopped, releasing more of the flavor.
• Crushed fresh ginger.
• Curry powder. Use mild or spicy curry powder depending on what you like better. I really like using Chief brand duck and goat curry.
  
  

For the curry paste:

• Green seasoning.
• Cloves Garlic.
• Curry powder. You can use any of your favorite blends. I like to use one with a strong versus a mild curry powder
• Garam masala. A blend of spices, including cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamom, is used extensively in Indian cooking.
• Geera is the Hindi word for cumin; look for the ground version of either one.

 
  

Other ingredients:

• Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point when making curry; groundnut oil and vegetable oil work well.
• Fresh thyme sprigs.
• Scotch bonnet pepper.
• Salt.
• Black pepper.

How to clean lamb cubes

We want to get the lamb cleaned up before we season it up for cooking.

The first part of preparing your curry lamb is getting lamb ready. Begin by chopping it into good-sized cuts of meat if it isn’t in pieces already. We want them bite-size and even in sizes for better cooking time.

I first put them in a colander and run water over them. I take this time to trim off and discard any extra fat or even just fat-only pieces I may have gotten.

I then soak it in a large bowl with some lemon or lime juice and enough water that will cover the lamb. Leave that to sit for about 10 minutes.

Preparing curry lamb

So now the meat is clean and ready to go.

Season the meat with green seasoning, curry, crushed ginger, and garlic. Set aside. I like to use my food processor or my grinder to get the ginger and the garlic crushed up.

While the lamb is marinating, mix the ingredients for the paste and set aside.

  


Take a heavy-bottomed pot, and heat the oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the paste and saute until the mixture becomes grainy and brown.

Now, add the meat chunks and mix until you have coated it in a layer of curry paste.

At this point, you should notice that the meat is beginning to release some liquid. Keep cooking the meat until the liquid has evaporated - this can take up to twenty minutes. Make sure you keep it moving so that it doesn’t stick to the pan!

Once the water has evaporated, add hot water to the pot. You want the water to be just at the same level as the top of the meat. Add in your thyme, hot pepper, and taste for salt and black pepper.

Now lower to medium heat and leave the meat and the liquid on the heat until the meat has cooked through and become tender. You will need to keep topping the water in the pot up throughout the cooking time. This part usually takes around an hour, but this depends on your cut of meat.

Make sure there is enough liquid in the pot at the end to create a fragrant gravy to serve with the meat.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• When preparing the lamb for your Caribbean lamb curry, be sure to use a sharp knife. Ideally, you should use a butcher's knife when preparing meat as it will more easily cut through the flesh.
• If you want the lamb to soak up the flavors in the green seasoning, be sure to take the time to massage it into the meat when marinating your lamb. Rubbing it will help to make it more tender, too. Also, leave it to sit for at least 45 minutes. It can even be left overnight.
• Heavy bottomed pots are the best kind to use when slow-cooking because they retain the heat well, and ensure that the meat cooks evenly.

Substitutions

• If you switch out the lamb for goat, you’ll turn your lamb curry into a goat curry! 
• You can also try beef instead. And if you want a pressure cooker/Instant pot version you can do it there.

  

Additions

Caribbean lamb curry tastes fantastic just as it is, but you can add some extra vegetables if you want to get some additional flavors and nutrients in there.

Squash goes well with lamb, as do peppers and spinach. So experiment with your favorite veggies, and let me know in the comments if you find any great combinations!

If you like potatoes with your curry meat, you can also add some in. Cube potatoes and add in when the lamb is cooking down.

Want some additional flavor? A few allspice berries or ground allspice can be added.

What to serve with Caribbean lamb curry

Like any curry, West Indian lamb curry is beautiful when served alongside a generous helping of rice!

Try it with some simple white rice, coconut rice, or some traditional Jamaican rice and peas if you want your meal to be extra special.

While you’re at it, try making a batch of these cassava dumplings - they’re so good dipped in the gravy!

Storing

Caribbean lamb curry is a great meal to make ahead because it stores well. It will keep in the fridge for about two days and in the freezer for up to six months.

If you’re going to store your leftover curry, be sure to seal it in an airtight container so that it doesn’t spoil.


  

Reheating

The best way to reheat Jamaican lamb curry is to put it in a pot on the stovetop with a bit of water and simmer it until it has heated all the way through.

If you want to reheat it from frozen, ensure that you have defrosted it entirely before reheating.