How to make curry lobster Caribbean style
Lobster tails simmered in a rich, seasoned curry sauce with coconut milk. This Caribbean-style dish is bold, savory, and perfect with any side.
What’s better than a good curry and some seafood? A well-flavored curry dish is top-tier comfort food, and this lobster curry definitely makes the cut.
I come from a curry country. This spice is one of the core flavors in our kitchens. Indian indentured laborers brought curry to our islands, and now it’s found across every kind of household.
We curry just about anything. Shrimp, duck, goat, beef. And don’t get me started on sides.
How to make lobster curry
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s what brings this lobster curry to life. It’s a mix of aromatics, bold spices, and coconut creaminess to pull it all together.
- Lobster tails: I used six. Easier to clean and find, but a whole lobster works too.
- Green seasoning: My favorite Caribbean blend. You can make your own or use store-bought.
- Lime: Used to clean and add flavor during seasoning.
- Aromatics: Onion, tomato, green onions (scallions), and garlic.
- Hot pepper: Scotch bonnet or whatever you’ve got. Toss it in whole to infuse flavor without getting full heat. Or burst it if you want that heat.
- Curry powder: Use your favorite Caribbean-style brand. I like Chief brand.
- Roasted geera (cumin): Adds a toasty, earthy note to the curry.
- Amchar massala: Optional, but it gives a deeper flavor
- Turmeric powder: For that warm color and subtle bitterness.
- Coconut milk: Makes a creamy sauce. You can use fresh coconut milk or canned.
- Hot water: Helps bring everything together into a smooth curry sauce.
- Chado beni (culantro): This is an optional ingredient. If you’ve got it, add it in at the end. It finishes the dish with that unmistakable Caribbean touch.
Instructions
- Cut the lobster tails into pieces and season with green seasoning, tomatoes, fresh thyme, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add garlic and let it brown slightly. This is what we call “chunky-ing.” You can add curry leaves here if you have them.
- Add curry powder, garam masala, geera, and turmeric powder. Let it cook until the spices are fragrant, then add a little water and cook it down again until grainy.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Once the curry starts to thicken, add the lobster pieces. Simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is cooked.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in chopped chadon beni and serve hot.
Tips
- Build your curry base before adding the lobster. Like with curry crab, seafood cooks quickly and doesn’t need a long time in the pot.
- Don’t let the lobster sit in the seasoning liquid too long. An hour is plenty. It starts to swell and get rubbery.
- You can add curry when you season the lobster. Totally up to you.
- Some folks make a curry paste before cooking, but I add the dry spices straight to the oil for this recipe.
Storage and Reheating
I’m not a big fan of reheating seafood, especially curry seafood, but if you must:
- Store in the fridge for up to three days.
- If freezing, do it as soon as possible after cooking. Don’t freeze if it’s already been in the fridge for two days.
- Reheat on the stovetop with a little water, covered, over medium heat until warmed all the way through.
- You can microwave it, but the stovetop gives better results. Either way, make sure it’s fully heated.
What to serve with this lobster
This dish goes great with:
- Plain white rice (my fave)
- Coconut rice
- Boiled dumplings
- Potato salad
- Potato pie
Frequently Asked Questions
Even if they say they’re pre-cleaned, I still clean mine. Rinse the shells with cold water, remove the little legs and underbelly bits. Rub with lime, then soak in a lemon-water mix for 5 to 10 minutes max. Cut each tail into three pieces, slice the underside of the shell, and gently pry up the meat to make it easier to eat.
The shell turns pink, and the meat turns white. If it’s still translucent, it needs more time.
If your sauce isn’t thick yet but the lobster is ready, remove the meat and let the sauce simmer on its own.
Only if you have no other option. Make sure the curry sauce is almost done, then add the cooked lobster and let it heat through for just 5 to 6 minutes. Any longer and it may get rubbery.
Ready to bring more Caribbean flavor into your kitchen? Try this curry lobster and let me know how it turned out in the comments. And if you’re looking for more seafood or curry inspiration, check out the other recipes linked above. Happy cooking!
Recipe
Lobster curry
Ingredients
Method
- Wash lobster tails and remove any debris or little underbelly legs
- Use half to the lime and rub it up and down each tail then rinse off
- Cut up tails into smaller pieces
- Season with juice from other side of lime, green seasoning, tomatoes, onions, thyme and scallions.
- Let sit for 4 hours or overnight
- In a heavy dish, heat oil on a medium high heat
- Add garlic cloves to oil and let brown (do not let it burn)
- Add curry, massala, geera and turmeric powder to oil. Stir till grainy
- Do not let it get too burnt
- Add lobster to pot and mix so it gets coated with the curry
- Add milk and hot water to pot and mix
- Add pepper
- Bring to a boil then lower to simmer and cover.
- Cook until lobsters are pink in color (about 10 minutes)
- Add shado beni
- Serve hot
