Guyanese-style Goat Curry

Goat curry is one of the curry dishes reserved for special occasions in my family. Although this is something you could purchase easily at a West Indian restaurant, cooking it at home is more common during gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, and generally any important festivity. I remember for my eldest son’s first birthday, my dad bought a whole goat to curry. He cleaned the entire thing and chopped it all himself. It was so much meat that he had to put it into a very large bucket and use the hose in the backyard to wash it thoroughly. I thought this was over the top, but you know us West Indians are extra about everything, haha!

I often wonder when my parents get older who will we depend on to cook these important dishes. There’s a technique to cooking curry that can only come with practice. Browning the masala mixture to the right color, getting the masala-to-curry powder ratio right, and knowing how tender to cook the meat- because there’s nothing worse than rubbery meat getting stuck between your teeth. These are techniques that can only be acquired through doing. Anyone who makes a solid curry is held to high esteem because it means they know how to balance the spices and salt. Many don’t think of salt as an important ingredient, but it can alter the taste of the curry drastically.

This is my father’s Guyanese-style goat curry, distinct from the Jamaican version as it includes both masala and curry powder, whereas the Jamaican style typically uses only curry powder. The Trinidadian version also uses masala but includes bhandaniya (culantro), giving it a slightly different flavor.

About Goat Meat

Goat is the most consumed meat in the world. When I first heard that statistic I was quite surprised as I thought it may have been chicken. When cooked till tender, goat meat can be quite enjoyable. The experience can also be ruined if the meat is too chewy and rubbery. We always got our meat from a halal butcher. When purchasing goat, look for meat that is pale pink, anything deeper in color indicates an older goat. Older meat takes a very long time to boil. You will be waiting hours and hours to reach an edible tenderness which is why many people like to pressure cook it. Meat that is younger is pale pink and cooks faster. For meatier cuts, I prefer the leg or shoulder.

A Note on Washing + Cleaning Meat 

In West Indian cuisine, it is common to wash or clean meat before cooking. We typically bought meat for curry from a halal butcher. The butcher would cut it up into stew sized pieces, but we still needed to trim the fat off and wash away hair or fine bones. The way I learned to clean goat meat is with a handful of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-2 limes, and enough water for the meat to soak. Mix the meat with these ingredients and let it sit for at least a half hour then rinse it off piece by piece and pat dry. Use a knife to pull off any fibrous strands. This is the way we always cleaned meat in my home, but feel free to use your own way.

Pre-season the meat and let marinate overnight or a few hours.

Main Ingredients 

For the curry paste, masala, curry powder, and a blend of onion, garlic, pepper and thyme are used. Add water to make paste.

Okay, so curry paste doesn’t photograph well, but it is, what it is, people.

Dry thyme, cinnamon bark, ground all spice, five spice, and 10-15 cloves.

Scallions, onion, and wiri wiri pepper. Scotch bonnet can be used in place. Tomato paste is added, but not pictured.

These are curry leaves. It smells amazing and makes the food taste really great. It can be hard to locate. Best sourced at an East Indian grocer, such as Patel Brothers. A few curry leaves are fried in the oil before adding the masala mixture. It helps to flavor the base of the curry.

After above ingredients have been added to the karahi, bounjay meat for 20-25 minutes. Bounjay is a method used for cooking meat until the masala mixture has seared onto the meat and becomes dry.  See recipe card below for Instant pot pressure cooking directions.

Using a pressure cooker is not necessary, but would definitely speed up the process. The curry can be left to boil until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick. We don’t want no long wata (watery curry) here ya’ll! Goat meat can take some time to boil, especially if it’s an older goat. If you’re not using a pressure cooker, you can expect to cook the meat anywhere from 2-3 hours on a medium boil to reach a nice tenderness where you aren’t gnawing at the meat.

For a long time I was intimidated by the thought of using a pressure cooker. Have you ever seen the aftermath of a pressure cooker explosion? Well, if you have, then you’d be intimidated and fearful as well. I may have been about 12 or 13 years old when I first saw the mess our pressure cooker left behind after blowing up. My dad was pressuring a pot of dhal and something in the cooker became unstable. The top flew off and the dhal splattered all over the kitchen. I was horrified to see the contents become one with the wall. We spent the rest of the night cleaning the kitchen and ordered Chinese food for dinner. Nowadays pressure cookers are made with safety gadgets, you rarely hear of accidents. It took me a long time to get comfortable using one again, but once you learn, you’ll be using it for everything!

Traditional Pressure Cooker Directions 

Add the meat and 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker. Allow to cook until pressure cooker whistles. When it whistles it will let out the steam and then build it up again. After 6 whistles, remove steam from pressure cooker by lifting whistle with a spoon. You will physically see the steam escaping the pot. Open pressure cooker, pierce meat to check tenderness. If it is still tough, add 1 more cup of water and allow to pressure again for 6-8 whistles. Add meat back to the karahi. Add potatoes and ½ cup water. Cook until potatoes are slightly tender. See recipe card below for Instant Pot pressure cooking directions. 

Curry is done cooking!

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Guyanese-style Goat Curry

Yield: 4lbs goat / Serves 6-8

A curry with tender, succulent pieces of goat meat simmered in a thick, richly spiced gravy that you can cook on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. Perfect for a special occasion or a leisurely weekend meal.

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Ingredients

• 4lbs goat meat, chopped, shoulder or leg

Pre-season

• 3 tablespoon green seasoning
• 1 tablespoon madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon geera (roasted cumin)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Curry paste mixture

• 3 tablespoons garam masala, heaping
• 3 tablespoons madras curry powder, heaping
• 4 tablespoons green seasoning
• 4 tablespoons water to make paste

Remaining Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 5-6 whole allspice, crushed or ¼ teaspoon ground
• ¼ teaspoon five spice, ground
• 10 cloves
• 2-inch piece of stick cinnamon bark (not ground)
• ½ onion, sliced
• 3 sprigs scallions, finely chopped
• 2-3 wiri wiri peppers or 1 scotch bonnet
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 6 curry leaves (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 5 tablespoons oil for sauteeing

Additional

• Kettle with boiling water on reserve
• 1 sprig of scallions, sliced
• ½ teaspoon geera (roasted cumin)

Instructions

Clean and Marinate the Meat:

• Clean and chop the goat meat. Cut away large pieces of fat. Cut the meat into small 2-3inch sized pieces. Wash the meat according to your preference. Pat it dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, season the meat with the green seasoning, Madras curry powder, geera, and garam masala. Mix well to coat the meat evenly. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours to infuse the flavors.

Prepare Ingredients:

• In a small bowl, mix the garam masala, Madras curry powder, green seasoning, and water to form a thick curry paste. Set aside.
• Gather and prepare the remaining spices, sliced onions, scallions, and hot peppers.

Cook the Curry Paste:

• Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a karahi or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and fry until fragrant and browned.
• Add the curry paste mixture to the pot. Sauté until the paste turns medium brown and the oil begins to separate from the spices.

Cook the Meat:

• Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the marinated goat meat to the pot. Toss the meat in the curry paste mixture to coat well. The goat will release its own water. Allow the meat to cook in its own liquid until the liquid evaporates and the curry paste sears onto the meat, about 20-25 minutes.

Add Spices and Aromatics:

• Add the salt, crushed allspice, ground five spice, cloves, cinnamon bark, thyme, sliced onions, and scallions. Toss to combine with the meat.

Simmer the Curry:

• Pour boiling water over the meat, enough to cover it. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Let the curry come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the curry for a couple of hours or until the meat is tender, adding a little water at a time as needed to maintain a thick sauce.

Add Potatoes scallions and geera:

• When the meat is almost tender, add the quartered potatoes, additional scallion and geera. Continue cooking until the potatoes are soft and the meat is fully tender.

Finish and Serve:

• Once the potatoes are cooked and the curry has reached the desired consistency, remove from heat. Serve hot with rice or roti, or your favorite side dish.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTANT POT

Saute Aromatics in Instant Pot:

• Set the Instant Pot to the "Sauté" function and add the oil. Once hot, add the curry leaves and fry until fragrant and browned. Add the curry paste and sauté until the paste turns medium brown and the oil separates from the spices.

Add and Bounjay the Meat:

• Add the marinated goat meat and toss with the curry paste to coat well. Allow the meat to cook until it releases its juices and the liquid reduces, about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add Spices and Aromatics:

• Add the salt, crushed allspice, ground five spice, cloves, cinnamon bark, thyme, sliced onions, and scallions. Toss to combine with the meat.

Pressure Cooking:

• Pour boiling water over the meat until just covered. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the "Sealing" position.
• Set the Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" (or "Manual") on high pressure for 35 minutes.

Release Pressure and Add Potatoes:

• Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to the "Venting" position.
• Open the lid and add the additional geera, scallions, and quartered potatoes. Set the Instant Pot to "Sauté" and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened to your liking.

Notes

Don't cut potato too small, it will melt and make gravy too thick.

Have boiling water ready in a kettle.

I prefer Lalah's or Chetty's brand of curry powder. For garam masala, I prefer Maywah or or Guyanese pride. My mother makes her own blend of garam masala, but when I run out these are the brands that work for me.

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