Colombo – a curry from Martinique and Guadeloupe

Indo-Martiniquans and Indo-Guadeloupeans make up approximately 10% of the population on the island, mostly descended from the indentured labourers that arrived during the 1800s. A recipe introduced to the island by this community is colombo. It is said to have derived from the Tamil word kulambu, which references curry. The recipe has a unique addition of roasted, uncooked rice added to the whole spices before being ground, making the sauce thicker and richer.

On my travels, I tried colombo from a small, casual eating place in Guadeloupe. It was lightly spiced, and the sauce was thick with a strong citrusy flavour from the added lime juice. Sometimes courgette and aubergine are added to the sauce; the one I had was made without. Definitely unique.

Serves 4 

• 1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Juice of 2 limes
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Scotch bonnet, split in half (or left whole if you prefer less heat)
• 2tsp sea salt, or to taste
• 2-3tbs rapeseed (canola) or olive oil
• 100ml water
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 400ml coconut milk
• 1 aubergine, courgette or 1 chayote (chou chou/christophene), diced into medium chunks (optional)

Colombo spice mix

• 30g white rice, any variety
• 15g cumin seeds
• 15g coriander seeds
• ½tbs black mustard seeds
• ½tbs black peppercorns
• ½tbs fenugreek seeds
• 1tsp fennel seeds
• ½tsp whole cloves
• ½tsp allspice (pimento) berries
• 30g ground turmeric

To serve
White rice 

First, make the spice mix. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, then add all the ingredients except the turmeric. Toast in the pan for no more than a minute to ensure they don’t burn. The pan will smoke a little and you will be able to smell the spices toasting. Remove from the heat and transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar along with the turmeric, then grind to a fine powder.

Next, put the chicken into a bowl along with the lime juice, thyme, garlic, Scotch bonnet, salt and three tablespoons of the spice mix. Mix well to ensure everything is coated, then cover and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for a few hours, or overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, remove the marinated meat from the refrigerator and set aside for 30 minutes to allow to come to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat, then add three tablespoons of the colombo spice mix and cook in the oil for a few minutes. Pour in the water, add the onions then simmer for 3-4 minutes before adding the chicken.

Mix the chicken into the spices, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for a few minutes, allowing the meat to release its juices.

Next, add the coconut milk, increase the heat slightly and bring to a low boil. Once bubbling, add the aubergine, courgette or chayote (if using), reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Serve with white rice.

Taken from Caribe by Keshia Sakarah (Quadrille, £30). Read the review

Photography ©Matt Russell