Trinidadian Curry Chicken Roti

Canada brought the win 🇨🇦⚽️💨, and I brought the flavour in da house.

During Canada’s big game against South Africa, I wanted something celebratory, comforting, and easy enough to enjoy while still keeping one eye on the soccer. For me, that meant Trinidadian curry chicken roti, a dish that feels like pure comfort wrapped in something soft, flaky, and delicious. At that meant manning with one foot in the kitchen and the other in the living room :)

Trinidadian roti has such a beautiful history. It comes from Indian culinary traditions brought to Trinidad and Tobago by indentured labourers in the 19th century, and over time, it became its own beloved part of Trini food culture. Like so much Caribbean cooking, it tells a story of migration, adaptation, and flavour shaped by many cultures.

In Trinidad, roti can refer to the flatbread itself, but also to the full meal: curried meat, potatoes, chickpeas, or vegetables wrapped inside dhalpuri, paratha, or served with buss up shut. Last time, and my first time, I went all in and made fresh homemade buss up shut, the buttery, flaky Trini-style paratha whose name comes from its torn-up “busted shirt” appearance. It was so worth it, but this time, for soccer game day, I needed a shortcut.

Buss Up Shut Step-By-Step Recipe

Enter frozen Taiwanese flaky onion pancakes.

And honestly, they worked beautifully.

Crisped up in a pan, they gave me those lovely flaky layers and just enough savoury onion flavour to make the curry chicken feel right at home. It may not be traditional, but it was joyful, practical, and very Toronto. A little Caribbean, a little Taiwanese, a lot of multicultural kitchen magic.

Frozen pancakes found in all Asian Supermarkets

For the curry chicken, layer the seasoned chicken with potatoes, chickpeas, curry powder, garlic, onion, thyme, cumin, and allspice. After a gentle simmer, everything becomes tender, saucy, and deeply comforting, with the potatoes thickening the curry and the chicken soaking up all that warm Trini-inspired spice. Try this as an easy weeknight meal, allowing the marinated chicken to chill overnight. Double the recipe for a bigger batch- leftovers are superb!

Trinidadian Curry Chicken Roti (adapted by African Bites)

Serves 6

Chicken Marinade
2½-3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. chicken bouillon

Chicken Roti
2 Tbsp. canola oil, more if needed
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1½ tsp. thyme, fresh or dried
1 tsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground allspice
2-3 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
2 cups cubed potatoes
½-1 tsp. cayenne pepper or 2 chili peppers, optional
1 tsp. white pepper
3-4 cups chicken broth
salt to taste

Place chicken in a large bowl then add salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper, and curry powder.

Mix chicken with a spoon or your hands until well coated. Set aside in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to cook, heat a large saucepan with oil. Add onions, garlic, thyme, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and curry powder. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Then add the chicken, stir, and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken stock if necessary to prevent burning.

Next, add chickpeas, chicken bouillon, potatoes, cayenne, white pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes soften and the sauce thickens (about 20-30 mins). Adjust with salt, pepper, and broth for taste and consistency. 

Serve at the table with warmed paranthas or pancakes.

Once the curry was ready, spoon it into the hot flaky onion pancakes and wrapped them roti-style or tear the pieces, pick up some curry with it and enjoy! 

Golden, saucy, messy in the best way, and completely satisfying.

This is the kind of food I love most: rooted in tradition, open to improvisation, and full of personal story. Cooking in Toronto often looks like this, honouring where a dish comes from while also using what we have, what we love, and what fits the moment.

Canada was on the screen, curry was bubbling on the stove, and dinner brought the world together in one flaky, saucy, joyful bite.

Let’s go Canada gooooo! 🇨🇦⚽🔥

FULL RECIPE:

Trinidadian Curry Chicken Roti (adapted by African Bites)

Serves 6

Chicken Marinade
2½-3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. chicken bouillon

Chicken Roti
2 Tbsp. canola oil, more if needed
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1½ tsp. thyme, fresh or dried
1 tsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground allspice
2-3 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
2 cups cubed potatoes
½-1 tsp. cayenne pepper or 2 chili peppers, optional
1 tsp. white pepper
3-4 cups chicken broth
salt to taste

Place chicken in a large bowl then add salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper, and curry powder.

Mix chicken with a spoon or your hands until well coated. Set aside in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to cook, heat a large saucepan with oil. Add onions, garlic, thyme, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and curry powder. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Then add the chicken, stir, and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken stock if necessary to prevent burning.

Next, add chickpeas, chicken bouillon, potatoes, cayenne, white pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes soften and the sauce thickens (about 20-30 mins). Adjust with salt, pepper, and broth for taste and consistency. 

Serve with warmed paranthas or pancakes.

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh)...

Freshly back from Hong Kong, and with the delectable dim sum experience still heavily on my mind and tastebuds, I had a craving for Chinese brunch favourite savoury turnip cake 煎蘿蔔糕 lo bak goh. My cousin Pessy who treated us in HK tells me this is her go-to potluck dish and she's mastered it after making it many times and to rave reviews 😍. Also cause I had just purchased a few large turnips to make chicken and pork broth (adds sweetness) and the leftover piece was just the perfect amount to try my hands on this classic. I've made it with my mom several times in the past but somehow it just seemed a lot of effort. With her bringing me some often I was deterred to make it, but not this time :). Crispy brown on the outside, tender savoury on the inside... so hard to resist 😋 not to try cooking it myself!

Turnip cake is seen as a good luck food and enjoyed during Lunar New Year because its name symbolizes luck and prosperity. The word for cake "goh" 糕 is a homonym of the words tall, rising, growth and achieving a higher level. There are several steps to making this cake so it's ideal to prepare it a day or two in advance as you need it to cool completely after steaming (overnight is best) for clean slicing and best eaten pan-fried until crispy.

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh) (adapted from Cook With Lau)

Makes 10 to 12 pieces 

2 lbs Chinese turnip, peeled and grated through a large hole grater (do not drain excess liquid)
250 g regular rice flour
1-1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced
30 g (2 Tbsp) dried shrimp, rinsed, soaked for 15 mins, drained and minced (reserve liquid)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, soaked for 4 hours, drained and minced
1 piece Chinese sausage, minced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 pieces green onions, thinly sliced

Note: Choose heavy, fat and firm daikon or turnip that have more water content and are sweeter.

Whisk rice flour (measure 250g on a scale for accuracy) and water in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

Heat a large skillet/pan on high for a few minutes with 1 Tbsp oil. Cook the garlic and dried shrimp for about 30 seconds. Add the shiitakes; cook for 30 seconds. Cook the Chinese sausage (save some for garnish) for about 30 seconds. Add the turnip and its juice, stir the wok, cover the wok, and cook it for 6-7 minutes. 

Add salt, chicken bouillon, white pepper and sesame oil. Mix the flavours around the wok, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the cake pan by cutting out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom with, spreading oil around the inner rim of the cake pan (with your finger or a brush) Note: any type of cake pan (square, non-removable base, etc) works as long as it fits in your steamer.

I used my non-stick 9" springform cake pan 

When the mixture starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour mixture. Note: look for the water released from the turnip. Do not pour it all in at once and continuously stir the mixture to ensure you don’t produce lumps for two minutes until thickened. Note: add a few tablespoons water if the mixture is too gluey (reserve the dried shrimp water for this), but not too much unless you want a much softer result. I prefer mine tender but firm. 

Transfer the mixture into the cake pan, flatten out the surface, and spread remaining 1 Tbsp. oil around the surface with a spoon for a shiny and appetizing finish.

Fill steamer to the water limit and bring it to a boil on high heat. Transfer the cake pan to the steamer and cover it. Cook for 20 mins. on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 mins. more.

It is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the centre pulls out clean without gluey debris stuck to it.

While the cake pan is still in the steamer, sprinkle the leftover Chinese sausage onto the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the cake pan from the steamer; garnish with green onion.

Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then let it cool in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.Remove the turnip cake from the pan. Slice the cake however you'd like. If you're pan frying, then little sections are perfect. I cut mine into 10 heartier pieces.

Pan frying is highly recommended. It brings out a nice, crispy and crunchy bit contrast to the tender interior. Heat up a pan with oil on high heat for a few minutes, and then pan fry them for about 4-7 minutes per side until they’re golden brown.

I love serving Koon Yick chilli sauce on all dim sum

FULL RECIPE:

Pan-Fried Chinese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Goh) (adapted from Cook With Lau)

Makes 10 to 12 pieces 

2 lbs Chinese turnip, peeled and grated through a large hole grater (do not drain excess liquid)
250 g regular rice flour
1-1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced
30 g (2 Tbsp) dried shrimp, rinsed, soaked for 15 mins, drained and minced (reserve liquid)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, soaked for 4 hours, drained and minced
1 piece Chinese sausage, minced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 pieces green onions, thinly sliced

Note: Choose heavy, fat and firm daikon or turnip that have more water content and are sweeter.

Whisk rice flour (measure 250g on a scale for accuracy) and water in a bowl until smooth; set aside.

Heat a large skillet/pan on high for a few minutes with 1 Tbsp oil. Cook the garlic and dried shrimp for about 30 seconds. Add the shiitakes; cook for 30 seconds. Cook the Chinese sausage (save some for garnish) for about 30 seconds. Addd the turnip and its juice, stir the wok, cover the wok, and cook it for 6-7 minutes. 

Add salt, chicken bouillon, white pepper and sesame oil. Mix the flavours around the wok, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Note: look for the water released from the turnip.

Meanwhile, prepare the cake pan by cutting out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom with, spreading oil around the inner rim of the cake pan (with your finger or a brush) Note: any type of cake pan (square, non-removable base, etc) works as long as it fits in your steamer.

When the mixture starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour mixture. Do not pour it all in at once and continuously stir the mixture to ensure you don’t produce lumps for two minutes until thickened. Note: add a few tablespoons water if the mixture is too gluey (reserve the dried shrimp water for this), but not too much unless you want a softer result. I prefer mine tender but firm. 

Transfer the mixture into the cake pan, flatten out the surface, and spread remaining 1 Tbsp. oil around the surface with a spoon for a shiny and appetizing finish.

Fill steamer to the water limit and bring it to a boil on high heat. Transfer the cake pan to the steamer and cover it. Cook for 20 mins. on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 mins. more.

It is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the centre pulls out clean without gluey debris stuck to it.

While the cake pan is still in the steamer, sprinkle the leftover Chinese sausage onto the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the cake pan from the steamer; garnish with green onion.

Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then let it cool in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.Remove the turnip cake from the pan. Slice the cake however you'd like. If you're pan frying, then little sections are perfect. I cut mine into 10 heartier pieces.

Pan frying is highly recommended. It brings out a nice, crispy and crunchy contrast to the tender interior.

Heat up a pan with oil on high heat for a few minutes, and then pan fry them for about 4-7 minutes per side until they’re golden brown.

Can't wait to make and bring some for mom. I think she will approve 😊. If you also like taro cake (popular during Harvest Moon Festival) prepared in a similar fashion, check the link under image.

Pan-Fried Taro Cake

Stay tuned for more restaurant-quality but comfort eats made at home, inspired from my trip to Thailand 🇹🇭 and Hong Kong 🇭🇰 to honour Asian Heritage Month.

Happy Chinese New Year of the Adaptable Snake...

 

The Lantern Festival is the grand finale of Lunar New Year celebrations that occurs on the 15th day of the lunar month, celebrating the first full moon, symbolizing family reunion and togetherness. 🏮🌕

Tangyuan (Glutinous Rice Balls) is a must-eat for the Lantern Festival! Whether you prefer the classic sweet tangyuan filled with black sesame, peanut, or red bean paste, or the savoury version, everyone has their favourite!

My grandmother used to make savoury tangyuan, served in a rich broth made with pork, dried shrimp, and napa cabbage. Now, this beloved family tradition has been passed down to her father, keeping the flavours of home alive.

My friend Jenny, when she was little, her family would gather to roll tangyuan by hand. A bowl of warm, sweet soup with red and white tangyuan was a must. This year, she tried fun flavours like crème caramel and purple sticky rice taro from a package. Not only were they delicious, but the graphics featured Sanrio characters like Pompompurin and Kuromi, which the kids absolutely loved!

Back home in Taiwan, after enjoying tangyuan, she looked forward to lantern walks in the park, filled with colourful decorations and a lantern riddle contest offering small prizes. They were the best memories!

Chinese New Year celebrations was at my parents with my siblings and I each making a few dishes to contribute. My go-to is pan-fried beancurd rolls stuffed with vegetables or mixed mushrooms, and also soy sauce eggs sans tea. We even make clean up easy by covering the tables with newspapers and plastic liner. Keeping it casual makes it comfortable as we just focus on enjoying the food and the lively conversations 🏮🐍😋 

On Saturday, February 1st, my friend Jenny and I attended the North York Recipes for Healing: Leftover Ingredients to celebrate Chinese New Year with a fun collage workshop on leftover food brought to us by Heritage Toronto. The session was kicked off by our lovely Willowdale councillor Lily Cheng.

In traditional Chinese culture, fish (鱼, Yu) is a dish typically eaten during the Chinese New Year celebrations, symbolizing the wish for a year of abundance. The dish and the character also sound and look like words for surplus and leftovers (余, Yu). 

Participants used waste and surplus materials (boxes and magazines) to create a collage that represents their own stories about leftover food. We did a creative 3-D collage on hot pot ♨️🥘, a Chinese communal meal to represent family reunion and bonding traditionally enjoyed on Chinese New Year Eve 🏮!

As we slide into 2025, the year of the adaptable snake, we wish you shed the useless old and realize a year full of hope, good health and abundant success 🐍! 

Newcomer Kitchen- Give the Gift of Joy this Holiday and For Lifting the January Blues

 

Give A Gift of Warmth, Fun, Community & Meaning

Excited to present ✌ things I've been working on at Newcomer Kitchen. Give the Gift of Joy this Holiday and For Lifting the January Blues (with a Holiday Trinidadian black rum cake and 3 International Cooking Workshops to start the new year)!

Order your cake on Eventbrite here

Get ready to spice up Tuesday evenings in January as we celebrate diverse global cuisines through engaging, small hands-on workshops followed by a shared meal. Let’s come together to enjoy delicious dishes while supporting newcomer women from around the world who are striving to make Toronto a warmer, more welcoming community. This promises to be a truly memorable experience! $59.91 total for a workshop

Moroccan Tagines Cooking Workshop

Tuesday, January 14th, 5:30 to 8:00pm Small Group Cooking Workshop: Savour Morocco Join La Kasbah Del Sol chef Hajar Ouzid for a hands-on workshop exploring Moroccan tagine with all the trimmings!

Tickets & Info for Moroccan Workshop

Nigerian Cooking Workshop

Tuesday, January 21st, 5:30 to 8:00pm Small Group Cooking Workshop: Savour Nigeria Join Ibile Meals chef Ope Osadare as she prepares steamy banana leaf wraps and serves up delicious puff puffs!

Tickets & Info for Nigerian Workshop

Persian Cooking Workshop

Tuesday, January 28th, 5:30 to 8:00pm Small Group Cooking Workshop: Savour Persia Join SHAMS founder Hamideh Arefeshghy to explore the flavours of Persia showcasing special ingredients sure to leave you enchanted!

Tickets & Info for Persian Workshop

What's New at Newcomer Kitchen: The Fall Line-Up of Foodie Events...

 

So much exciting announcements 📢 and stories to share from Newcomer Kitchen. 

If you are new to my blog, I'd love to introduce myself:

I have been a food professional with 25 years of culinary experience with a passion in food education and multiculturalism. I have worked in catering, culinary consulting, product development, recipe development in a test kitchen and for several magazines, and authored a cookbook on Asian hot pots. I ran cooking programs and workshops with primarily newcomers in schools and for diverse communities including kids, youths, families and seniors with an emphasis on healthy cooking, multiculturalism and curbing food waste. I blog about my community collaborations and love for food and travel here on Susan’s Savour-It!

I have been with Newcomer Kitchen, a non-profit organization for nearly three years, and as a Program Trainer, have led and completed the day program with seven groups of women. Our ‘Willing To Work’ Food Entrepreneurship Training program helps newcomer women in food preparation and entrepreneurship to start their own food business funded by the Immigration Refugee Citizenship of Canada (IRCC). This free "earn as you learn" hybrid (online and in-kitchen) program helps prepare their food ideas to market in three real life food events with all revenue generated going back in their hands. The money earned is divided amongst the team (6 to 7 women) and a certificate is provided upon completion of the 14 week program.

Currently, as their Program Manager, I oversee the 'Willing to Work' day and evening programs that introduces newcomer women the many avenues to food business ownership, and support the next level XP food incubator program to get women started. My passion for culinary excellence and inclusivity is highlighted through my commitment to empowering others through food and celebrating diversity.

Here's What's New at Newcomer Kitchen: The Fall Line-Up of Foodie Events...

This Fall at Newcomer kitchen Seasonal newsletter Fall 2024 Coming up Tuesday Sept 17th Our usual W2W group dinner will be offered in November (see below for information). We have had numerous requests for a pop-up sooner! So we have reached out to one of our new businesses in our XP food business incubator to put together a special offer of a pick-up (or delivered) meal by Lakasbah Moroccan Cuisine. $25.00 see menu & tickets New for this fall After a successful season hosting our Summer Brunch Around the World Workshop Series we are introducing a new Tuesday Night Dinner & Cooking Workshop Series in our beautiful century space at the Center for Social Innovation. Four Tuesday evenings this fall we invite you to join us to celebrate different global cuisines through hands-on learning and then sharing a meal together. It promises to be a special experience.   Here is what of few of our guests said about our summer workshops: “What a heartening experience to learn and to share a meal together. We had such an unforgettable experience” “Thank you for creating a space for women to share their culture, talents, experiences and FOOD. Can’t wait to attend more events!” “Thank you for a loving and delicious experience” “The food was amazing” “This was a fantastic experience!” “It’s great seeing different communities brought together” “What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning” Tuesday night lineup for info & tickets for info & tickets for info & tickets for info & tickets Tuesday September 24th, 6:00pm-8:30pm Eritrean dinner & cooking workshop Tuesday October 29th, 6:00pm-8:30pm Lahore dinner & cooking workshop Tuesday November 19th, 6:00pm-8:30pm Iranian dinner & cooking workshop Tuesday December 10th, 6:00pm-8:30pm Punjabi dinner & cooking workshop Our popular pop-up pick-up meals are back Save the date Thursday november 7th Order now because they always sell out! This Fall our popular Pick-Up Meals will be back with dishes from Pakistan, Ukraine, India, Turkey, Jamaica & Kenya. for info and tickets event catering Special Limited Offer Our Willing to Work program trains newcomer women to provide party platters for special events. These groups of 6-8 women learn how to create finger foods highlighting their traditional recipes (including GF, Halal and Vegan options). This happens only twice per term:  December 5th and 12th. Perfect for a private holiday party or business meeting.  There is a $500.00 minimum and all the proceeds go directly to the women in our program. As a subsidized IRCC funded training program this is a great value and a triple bottom line. We work with our customers for a custom event experience. For more information please contact susan@newcomerkitchen.ca the XP Program Business Incubator A year into our “graduate” program we are pleased to announce the establishment of multiple business start-ups that are keen to show what they can do for you! Our current cohort of Newcomer Kitchen food entrepreneurs are ready to launch their catering menus and workshop offerings. This fall we have fantastic fare available from IBile Meals from West Africa, Lakasbah Moroccan Cuisine from Morocco, Shams Persian Dishes from Iran and Raabta from Pakistan. Please contact mary@newcomerkitchen.ca for more menus and catering information. Newcomer Kitchen News Busy Bee is open for business Veronica is one of our recent graduates of our Newcomer Kitchen Business Incubator Veronica …. has opened up her own take-out restaurant in the Sheridan Mall Food Court. We wish her well and CHECK HER OUT. CONGRATULATIONS VERONICA. You can also check out her amazing interview with Global News here.   watch us on Global News!! Aesop Skincare orders 2500 madelines for Mothers Day Oranges & Olives landed a order to make 600 bags of Orange Almond Madelines as thank-you gifts from Aesop Skincare to their customers. Thank you Aesop for your continued support to our entrepreneurs! Crescent School supports Again & again. thank you!! Thank you for the amazing ongoing support from Crescent School. This past term they ordered Valentines Gift Bags filled with sweet offerings from many countries. The boys also wrote reflections on what they are grateful for to add to the bags!! Crescent School also continues to be an amazing community partner picking up an entire Pick-Up Dinner of 50 meals and inviting us again this year to participate in outreach education opportunities for the wonderful, thoughtful and engaged boys at Crescent. We hope in some small way Newcomer Kitchen enriches and expands their window on the world.

Looking into winter, the "Willing To Work" Program is calling for newcomer participants for 2025. If you or you know a woman who would benefit from food training, please have them contact me Susan Ng at susan@newcomerkitchen.ca or call at 647-228-5990.