Hey Steamerz, Waaaahhhgwaaaan ? ( Whats up?)

On Wednesday last week, one of the rarest moments happened to me. I was home alone in the middle of the week. I didn't know what to do with myself ( I mean that in a good way) but one thing I was sure of: Cooking some good ole Jamaican Curry Chicken.

Follow me as I show you how I prepare it:)

I prepared everything I was gonna need then got to cooking. Here is a list of things from top left to bottom right.

• 1 Big carrot chopped
• 2 medium green peppers sliced into strips ( also called sweet pepper)
• 1 clove of garlic diced
• 1 Big red pepper ( Bell pepper/Sweet pepper) sliced into strips
• 2-3 medium potatoes chopped
• 1 medium whole chicken cut. ( or equivalent - I used thighs, legs, and some wings without the tips- not sure what they call them lol.)
• 2 medium onions diced LOL sliced diced chopped not even sure when to use them ( I've been in Japan too long) but you get the gist

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Things not in the pic

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• ( 1 scotch bonnet pepper-optional)
• Thyme (optional)

The most important thing you are gonna need is the Jamaican curry powder. Now you could use any curry powder but this brand right here is the all time Jamaican favorite. This is what gives our curry a unique taste even Indians have to respect. LOL

Where to buy

• Amazon
• In Japan irie876.com

Let's get to cooking

• Jamaicans like to wash their chicken with limes or lemons, it's how we were raised. Nowadays people say don't wash the chicken because it spreads the bacteria and ruins the taste blah blah blah. Limes/Lemons kills the bacteria and takes away that raw chicken smell the way I see it.:)

• Season the chicken in a bowl with black pepper ( use your judgment, whose gonna eat this? Any young kids?)
• Add two tablespoons ( the big spoons) of Betapac curry powder.

Add salt, around 1 tablespoon should be good ( not a mountain but a plateau of salt) but you can add more during the cooking process to fit your buds. I just "dash een" ( throw it on) the spoon in the pic was just there. I'm not really a big fan of perfect measurements- unless it is a cake................. ah but I don't bake.

Add some of the green peppers, red peppers, onion and garlic. If there is a spicy food lover in your home, ( cough...my wife) they could also add some hot sauce to their serving when it's ready, everybody wins.

Get in there and mix it all in. You may want to use some clear cooking gloves as the curry stains fingernails big time.

Let it sit for a few minutes and soak in. If you had the time, you could also leave it in the fridge over night to get the ultimate flavor.

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I left the carrots, potatoes, some of the onions, peppers and garlic to add later.

On medium heat with some olive oil, I lightly cooked the chicken ( without the onions, peppers etc)
Note: Many Jamaicans burn some of the curry powder or turmeric and garlic in the oil before cooking the chicken. It gives it a richer color and more flavor. I didn't do that this time around.

Looking good after some cooking.

Then I added water to the bowl that had the left over seasoning that was on the chicken ( the onions, peppers, garlic etc). I add another tablespoon of curry powder and mix it all in, then poured it in the fry pan over the chicken. Make sure that the water covers the chicken. On medium/high heat, I let it simmer for about 15-20 mins. Note: I also have the other set of seasoning (onions etc) that didn't touch the chicken.

• At this point, pepper lovers could add 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper or a few red jalapenos to simmer in the pot. Not me LOL. After simmering for bout 15-20 minutes I added the remaining onions, peppers and garlic and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. This adds an extra bang to the flavor. After that I added the potatoes and carrots. The reason for adding them last is to ensure they do not get boiled out and mashed. You want them whole and hearty:). Once the carrots and potatoes are in, I let it simmer on low heat for another 10- 20 mins. At 10 minutes it would be good to serve, the chicken would be tender and the potatoes and carrots not too soft. At 15 -20 minutes, the bones of the chicken would be soft enough to eat. ( If you are into bone eating) and the carrots and potatoes would be really soft, even a baby could eat it. If you are not a good time keeper, just test the carrots and potatoes with a fork. If it's soft enough, you are good to go. I was really hungry, I couldn't bother to wait , not even on the family LOL. So I had a " test serving" by myself. It was pretty good. The cook always has to test first:) oh yeah serve it with rice , I’m sure you know how to make that.

You really need to try Jamaican curry chicken if you haven't already. I guarantee you'll love it. If there is a Jamaican restaurant in your area, check it out and order the curry. If not, try your hands at cooking it up yourself. It isn't hard, hahahaha even I can do it.

PS: Check out my latest single here support my art because my friends don't LOL.

Thanks for reading