Celebrate Indian Arrival Day with these Trinidad Recipes
Indian Arrival Day represents the arrival of East Indian indentured laborers to British colonies to work on plantations. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country to recognize and commemorate the day and, now, May 30 is a public holiday.
Guyana, Mauritius and Fiji also celebrate the day as a public holiday but their dates are different and based on when Indians were first brought to their shores.
To celebrate Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago, here are a couple recipes that might interest you.
Trinidad Recipes for Indian Arrival Day
Sada roti
This is a simple, no-yeast flatbread made with flour, baking powder, salt and water. The dough is often rolled out and cooked on a flat cast iron pan called a tawa and served for breakfast.
Tomato choka
This is a delicious side dish that goes great with sada roti. It is made with fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, seasoning and hot oil.
Baigan choka
Another side for sada roti made with fire roasted eggplant (baigan), garlic, seasoning and hot oil.
Curry bodi
Also enjoyed for breakfast, this recipe involves cooking yard long beans (bodi) with seasonings in a Caribbean curry sauce.
Trini Indian Lunch Recipes
Curry channa and aloo
This is a vegan recipe made with chickpeas (channa), potatoes (aloo), and Caribbean curry and seasonings. It is a favorite for lunch.
Pumpkin talkari
Another vegan recipe made with Moschata pumpkin and seasonings. Talkari or takari are Indian terms to describe veggie side dishes.
Curry chicken
Delicious chicken recipe made with bone-in chicken pieces cooked in a Caribbean curry sauce and seasonings.
Curry duck
Trinidad curry duck is made with bone-in Muscovy duck pieces, local seasonings, hot peppers, and the same Caribbean curry sauce.
Buss up shut roti
Buss up shut is a soft, buttery roti that tastes great with curry channa and aloo, pumpkin talkari, curry chicken, duck and more.
Dhal and rice
Dhal and rice are a simple and popular lunch duo. The dhal is made with yellow split peas, seasonings, turmeric and fried garlic and cumin seeds.
Dhal and dumpling soup
This tasty soup is made with yellow split peas, flour dumplings, veggies and lots of delicious herbs and seasonings.
Trinidad Indian Street Food
Doubles
This is the most popular street food on the islands comprising of two fried flatbread (bara) and a seasoned chickpea filling. Many sauces with chadon beni, tamarind and mango are also available on request.
Aloo pie
A deep fried pie stuffed with seasoned potatoes, Caribbean herbs and Indian spices like cumin and masala will always be a delicious treat. It can be served with chickpeas or sweet and spicy sauces.
Saheena
This is another deep fried fritter that contains taro leaves. The leaves can be chopped fine (chip up) or can be left whole (rolled saheena).
Kachori
We certainly love our fried street food. This one is made with ground chickpeas and Caribbean seasonings and fried to perfection.
Pholourie
This simple fried dough ball with split peas powder and green seasoning is another Trini favorite to enjoy with sweet and spicy sauces.
Trini Indian Sweets
Barfi
Think of this as a sweet milk fudge. It’s a sweet treat that has ginger and cardamom flavors.
Kurma
This Indian delicacy is made by deep frying flavored dough cut into sticks before coating them in a cardamom-ginger syrup.
Find more about Diwali sweets here
There are many more Indian inspired foods enjoyed in T&T. You can find most recipes on Youtube. Which recipe are you making for Indian Arrival Day? Leave a comment letting me know.
