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.

Portuguese Caldo Verde

There’s something about Portugal that lingers long after you leave. Maybe it’s the tiled facades glowing in late afternoon light, the winding cobblestone streets climbing impossibly steep hills, or the way even the simplest meals feel deeply soulful and intentional. I’ve now been to Portugal twice, from Oporto to the Algarve and just back from Lisbon, and each visit leaves me craving the food all over again. 

This trip, one top nostalgic food I must have was caldo verde, Portugal’s beloved national soup, which I had on a day-trip to Sintra. I first fell in love with it two decades ago, and one spoonful instantly transported me back to that tiny table in Oporto with my husband. Travel always leaves me bringing home more than souvenirs. Sometimes it’s a technique, sometimes a feeling, and sometimes it’s a humble bowl of soup that carries an entire country within it.

Enjoying a smooth puree caldo verde in Sintra

Back home, with the flavours of Portugal still fresh on my tongue, I recreated caldo verde for tonight’s comfort dinner. Silky potatoes, ribbons of kale, smoky chorizo sausage, lots of garlic, and good olive oil come together in a soup that proves simplicity only works when every ingredient is treated with care. It tastes like something a grandmother would ladle into your bowl after a long walk through hilly streets, warming you from the inside out. 

There are many versions, but the texture I like is rustic, loose with a bit of potato bite. To create a smooth soup, blend your potato soup base then add the kale shreds and sausage slices to cook towards the end.

Caldo Verde
Serves 6 

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ lb. chorizo sausage, cut into ¼-inch rounds (use any good smoky sausage)
1 large onion, diced
8 to 12 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled, chopped in large chunks
6 cups water
1/2 bunch kale, washed, hard stems removed and leaves thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt to finish

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the sausage; cook and stir until browned. Remove sausage onto a plate.

Add remaining olive oil to the pot; then add onion, garlic and a little salt to sweat the onions. Cook and stir until the onion and the garlic is lightly golden (taking care not to burn), about five minutes. Add the potatoes and toss for a minute. Add water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, simmer until potatoes are soft about 15 minutes. Carefully mash potatoes in pot.

Add kale and cook five minutes until tender. Then add sausage and stir.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of good EVOO. 

Serve at the table with crusty bread, good olives and a splash of lemon juice.

Homemade caldo verde in 2014

And already, I’m dreaming about the next trip-inspired dish recreation. Stay tuned 👊💥

Full Recipe:

Caldo Verde 
Serves 6 

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ lb. chorizo sausage, cut into ¼-inch rounds (use any good smoky sausage)
1 large onion, diced
8 to 12 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled, chopped in large chunks
6 cups water
1/2 bunch kale, washed, hard stems removed and leaves thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt to finish

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the sausage; cook and stir until browned. Remove sausage onto a plate.

Add remaining olive oil to the pot; then add onion, garlic and a little salt to sweat the onions. Cook and stir until the onion and the garlic is lightly golden (taking care not to burn), about five minutes. Add the potatoes and toss for a minute. Add water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, simmer until potatoes are soft about 15 minutes. Carefully mash potatoes in pot.

Add kale and cook five minutes until tender. Then add sausage and stir.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO. 

Red Fermented (Nam Yu) Beancurd Fried Chicken Wings (红腐乳炸鸡翅)

There are certain dishes that stop you mid-bite, the kind that make you pause and wonder why you haven’t been cooking it this way all along. That was exactly my reaction in a bustling Hong Kong cha chaan teng, eyes wide, fingers slick, mouth watering,  completely taken by a plate of red fermented nam yu fried chicken wings sprinkled with a bit of crushed toasted garlic.

My kids felt it too, eyeing the last wing on our very first Hong Kong breakfast table and quietly hoping for more. We considered ordering another round, but I held back, promising I’d make this one home to our own kitchen.

I’ve made my way through the usual suspects over the years, salt and pepper, five spice, Taiwanese popcorn-style. But this one felt different. It wasn’t just the crisp skin or the juicy interior. It was that unmistakable depth from nam yu, a fermented red bean curd that brings a salty, slightly sweet, almost funky umami backbone, layered with aromatics that cling to the meat.

And then there’s that colour! That deep auburn marinade transforms in the fryer into something luminous, a glowing golden-red that feels almost lacquered onto the wings, and the slightly funky aroma when frying is heavenly too. A well-seasoned marinade, time to let it soak in, and a hot fry that locks everything into a crisp, flavour-packed crust- simply, it can't go wrong!

This version is my own take, shaped by that unforgettable Hong Kong moment, but also by years of chasing the perfect fried wing. It leans into bold fermentation, balanced seasoning, and that irresistible contrast of crunch and juiciness. I've made them three times already, just here for us and also for my kids' hungry friends... to wide eyes and mouthwatering delight! YUMMERS 🤤!

Red Fermented Beancurd Fried Chicken Wings (红腐乳炸鸡翅) (adapted by Huang Kitchen)

Makes 48 split chicken wings

24 whole chicken wings, split into drumettes and wings with tips, or 48 split pieces
4 red fermented beancurd, nam yu
2 fermented beancurd, fu yu
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tsp. chinese cooking wine
1/4" ginger, sliced and cut into thick slivers
3 green onions, cut into 1-1/2" pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch or potato starch
3 cups neutral cooking oil for frying

Using a fork or crab pick, prick small holes all over the chicken wings. Place in a big bowl.

In a small bowl, add both fermented beancurds. Flatten with a fork and mix until a smooth paste is formed.

Fermented tofu, known as fu yu and nam yu in Cantonese (I call them mini flavour bombs 💣), is a bold, salty seasoning often compared to “Chinese cheese” for its pungent aroma and rich, funky depth. They're made from soybeans and fermented in brine, giving it a smooth, creamy texture. Fu yu is off-white and milder, while nam yu has a reddish hue from red rice wine and a slightly deeper flavour, sometimes accented with bits of dried chili.

Marinate the chicken wings with the beancurd paste. Then add salt, sugar, white pepper, chicken bouillon, soy sauce and cooking wine; Toss well. Lastly add in the green onions and ginger. Thoroughly mix the seasonings and chicken wings by hand. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least three hours or ideally overnight.

When you are ready to cook, remove all onions and ginger from the marinated chicken wings. Add cornstarch/potato starch in the bowl of chicken wings. Using your hand (gloved), combine to evenly mix (the wings will be wet and sticky). 

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Insert a wooden chopstick or bamboo stick in the centre; the oil is ready when small dense bubbles shoots up its sides. Cook in several batches. Carefully add the chicken wings one at a time into the hot oil top side down to evenly cook. Notes: Do not overcrowd or pile them together. This will prevent the chicken wings from sticking together. 

OMG, look at that colour right?... no filter!

Turn the heat to medium and use chopsticks to stir the chicken wings to prevent them from sticking together. Halfway through frying, flip the chicken wings over. Continue frying for another 7-8 minutes until the chicken wings have a crispy skin and a bright red colour. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat until done.

Serve with toasted garlic pieces on top and/or hot sauce sauce as sriracha at the table. Enjoy hot!

These wings are a reminder of how one ingredient can completely shift a familiar dish into something extraordinary. Nam yue doesn’t just season the chicken, it transforms it, adding complexity, colour, and a depth that lingers long after the last wing is gone.

However you land, this is one of those recipes that earns a permanent spot in the rotation. Exciting and comforting all at the same time, and it'll always be your winner to entertain with friends over!

Delectably crispy, juicy with a distinct umami kick! Gorgeous!

Full Recipe:

Red Fermented Beancurd Fried Chicken Wings (红腐乳炸鸡翅) (adapted by Huang Kitchen)

Makes 48 split chicken wings

24 whole chicken wings, split into drumettes and wings with tips, or ~50 split pieces
4 red fermented beancurd, nam yu
2 fermented beancurd, fu yu

1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
2 tsp. chicken bouillon

3 Tbsp. light soy sauce

3 tsp. chinese cooking wine

1/4" ginger, sliced and cut into thick slivers
3 green onions, cut into 1-1/2" pieces

1/2 cup cornstarch or potato starch 

3 cups neutral cooking oil for frying

Using a fork or crab pick, prick small holes all over the chicken wings. Place in a big bowl.

In a small bowl, add both fermented beancurds. Flatten with a fork and mix until a smooth paste is formed.

Marinate the chicken wings with the beancurd paste. Then add salt, sugar, white pepper, chicken bouillon, soy sauce and cooking wine; Toss well. Lastly add in the green onions and ginger. Thoroughly mix the seasonings and chicken wings by hand. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least three hours or ideally overnight.

When you are ready to cook, remove all onions and ginger from the marinated chicken wings.
Add cornstarch/potato starch in the bowl of chicken wings. Using your hand (gloved), combine to evenly mix (the wings will be wet and sticky). 

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Insert a wooden chopstick or bamboo stick in the centre; the oil is ready when small dense bubbles shoots up its sides. Cook in several batches. Carefully add the chicken wings one at a time into the hot oil top side down to evenly cook. Notes: Do not overcrowd or pile them together. This will prevent the chicken wings from sticking together. 

Turn the heat to medium and use chopsticks to stir the chicken wings to prevent them from sticking together. Halfway through frying, flip the chicken wings over. Continue frying for another 7-8 minutes until the chicken wings have a crispy skin and a bright red colour. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat until done.

Serve with toasted garlic pieces and/or hot sauce sauce as sriracha at the table. Enjoy hot!

Indian Chicken Masala

 

There are meals that linger long after the plates are cleared, not because they were extravagant, but because they struck something deeper. This Indian chicken masala was one of those. It came to us unexpectedly in Hong Kong, tucked inside my cousin's membership at a bustling recreation club dining hall after my boys had a morning to burn off energy in the outdoor courts by themselves with basketball and soccer. They specialize in Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cuisines 🇭🇰🇨🇳🇮🇳🇲🇾

Having had this dish last year there, I knew my boys would love it- a different non-creamy, not-too-saucy profile from the butter chicken dish their dad often make weeknights at home. Tender chicken bathed in a deeply spiced, velvety semi-gravy, with warm garlic roti on the side to scoop up every last bit. For my boys, it became the standout dish of the trip- one they'll recount when asked "what was one of your favourite eats in HK?" Then for me, it became a challenge I couldn’t resist replicating at home. 

Chicken masala, garlic roti and deep fried silken tofu 😋

Chicken masala, in its many forms, sits at the heart of Indian cooking. The word “masala” simply means a blend of spices, but it carries far more nuance than that. Each region, each household even, builds its own signature combination, layering aromatics like ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes with spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. What results is not a single fixed dish, but a spectrum of flavours, ranging from bright and tangy to rich and deeply comforting. Versions like butter chicken and chicken tikka masala have travelled far beyond India, evolving along the way, but at its core, chicken masala remains a celebration of balance, warmth, and depth and one I'll be making again and again.

Indian Chicken Masala

Serves 6

2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite size pieces

Marinade:

1 tsp. red chili powder (kashmiri or hot paprika) 

1 ½ tsp. garam masala (or chicken masala) 

1 tsp. turmeric

1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste 

½ tsp. salt or to taste

4 Tbsp. plain yogurt, optional

Gravy:

4 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil 

2 small bay leaf 

4 green cardamoms (optional) 

2 inch cinnamon piece or 1/4 tsp. ground 

4 to 8 cloves

2 small onions, finely chopped 

2 to 4 green chilies, to taste, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste 

1 cup tomato puree (or deseeded fresh tomatoes and finely chopped)

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garam masalam, to taste

lime wedges and chopped cilantro, to serve

Basmati rice (Recipetineats)

Roti, fresh or frozen, cooked according to package directions

Place chicken to a large mixing bowl; add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, yogurt (if using) and garam masala. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. 

Heat oil in a large pan or skillet. Carefully add the whole spices- cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds to release aroma.  Add onions and green chilies. Saute them on a medium high heat for 5 mins. Then reduce the heat and saute for a few more mins. until the onions turn golden.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, then pour the tomato puree. Add salt and garam masala; saute until the mixture begins to smell aromatic and release some oil, about 2 to 3 mins. 

Add marinated chicken and saute for 5 mins. Turn the flame to completely low and cook covered for 5 mins. You can add cilantro at this point, then cover the pan again and continue to cook on a low heat until chicken is completely cooked to soft and tender. 

For a semi-dry chicken masala, you don't need to add water as the chicken gets cooked in its own moisture. To make it with gravy, add a little hot water or cream during the last few mins. Cook until the gravy turns thick and chicken is cooked through. 

Serve hot not only with basmati rice but also alongside pan-fried green onion pancakes, becoming a reflection of our own table, a little South Asia, a little East Asia, and entirely ours.

Make perfect basmati rice with Recipetineats

Quick Raita: Strain 1 cup full fat 3% plain yogurt for 1 hour through a coffee filter in the fridge, add 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 mini cucumber, diced and a smidgen of ground cumin. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy with lime wedges, cilantro, cucumber wedges and yogurt (such as raita) at the table.

What I love most about this dish is its generosity. It invites adaptation, encourages intuition, and rewards patience. It is equally at home in a restaurant dining room halfway across the world as it is in a busy family kitchen on a weeknight. And perhaps that’s the magic of it. A single dish, rooted in tradition, yet endlessly open to interpretation, capable of carrying a memory from one table to another, and turning it into something new.

Full Recipe:

Indian Chicken Masala

Serves 6

2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite size pieces

Marinade:

1 tsp. red chili powder (kashmiri or hot paprika) 

1 ½ tsp. garam masala (or chicken masala) 

1 tsp. turmeric

1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste 

½ tsp. salt or to taste

4 Tbsp. plain yogurt, optional

Gravy:

4 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil 

2 small bay leaf 

4 green cardamoms (optional) 

2 inch cinnamon piece or 1/4 tsp. ground 

4 to 8 cloves

2 small onions, finely chopped 

2 to 4 green chilies, to taste, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste 

1 cup tomato puree (or deseeded fresh tomatoes and finely chopped)

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garam masalam, to taste

lime wedges and chopped cilantro, to serve

Basmati rice (recipe follows)

Roti, fresh or frozen, cooked according to package directions

Place chicken to a large mixing bowl; add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, yogurt (if using) and garam masala. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. 

Heat oil in a large pan or skillet. Carefully add the whole spices- cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds to release aroma.  Add onions and green chilies. Saute them on a medium high heat for 5 mins. Then reduce the heat and saute for a few more mins. until the onions turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, then pour the tomato puree. Add salt and garam masala; saute until the mixture begins to smell aromatic and release some oil, about 2 to 3 mins. Add marinated chicken and saute for 5 mins. Turn the flame to completely low and cook covered for 5 mins. You can add cilantro at this point, then cover the pan again and continue to cook on a low heat until chicken is completely cooked to soft and tender. 

For a semi-dry chicken masala, you don't need to add water as the chicken gets cooked in its own moisture. To make it with gravy, add a little hot water or cream during the last few mins. Cook until the gravy turns thick and chicken is cooked through. 

Serve hot with rice or roti with lime wedges, cilantro and yogurt (such as raita) at the table.