Pepperpot

Guyana’s national dish takes pride of place in my heart—after all, pepperpot is a

treasured expression of my community, my heritage and my family, and something
that I have enjoyed eating my entire life. I have fond memories of our Christmas trips
to Guyana and taking in the enticing aromas of cassareep, cinnamon, cloves and
orange peel in the air.
A good pepperpot starts with a high-quality cassareep. Once cooked, the dish
will rest overnight for the flavors to mingle. (Trust me, it will taste infinitely better.)
Prepare it in advance, serve it with plait bread and there you have it, my friends—
Guyana on a plate.

Serves 4–6

[NF]

[ingredients]
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 lbs beef, lamb, goat or mutton chunks, washed
2 lbs oxtail
2 onions, chopped
7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
5 sprigs thyme
2 cinnamon sticks
2 (3-inch) dried orange peels
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp whole cloves
2–3 Wiri Wiri chili peppers, to taste (see Note)

1 cup cassareep
Plait Bread, to serve

[method]
 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add meat (in batches if
necessary) and sear for 7–10 minutes, until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Add oxtail and brown for 7–10 minutes. Transfer to the same plate.
To the pan, add onion, thyme, cinnamon, orange peels, salt, brown sugar and
cloves and Wiri Wiri chili peppers. Sauté for 7–8 minutes, until onion is golden
brown. Pour in 1 cup hot water, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove all the
brown bits known as fond. (Don’t neglect this step! It’ll add flavor to the dish.)
Add the seared meat and oxtail back to the pan. Pour in cassareep and sauté for
4–5 minutes. Pour in 5 cups hot water and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to
medium-low and cover.
Simmer for 3–4 hours, until meat is tender. Set aside to rest overnight at room
temperature.
As the cassareep helps to preserve the meat, the pepperpot can be kept at room
temperature and reheated once a day for up to a week. Simply bring it to a boil until
it’s warmed through. (Alternatively, it can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.) Serve
with plait bread.

Note: Wiri Wiri chili peppers can be substituted with half the amount of Scotch
bonnet or habanero chili peppers.

Cassareep
When I was a child, we would often spend Christmas in Guyana. And it is on
this festive occasion that most households will feast on Pepperpot. Its intoxicating
aroma wafted across the homes of friends and families and through the streets.
The key ingredient in pepperpot is cassareep, a highly viscous and dark cassava-
based liquid that lends a distinct color and bittersweet flavor while acting as a
preservative. In my house, pepperpot is left on the stove for up to a week and
reheated once a day (if it ever lasts that long!).
Amerindian Guyanese make cassareep by grating bitter cassava, then pressing
it to extract the juice. (It is important to never drink that extracted cassava juice
without boiling it first. When consumed in its raw state and combined with digestive
enzymes, it produces cyanide and can be fatal.) The juice is then spiced with
cinnamon, brown sugar and cloves and cooked for an extended time until thick and
syrupy. Overall, it is an arduous process—cassavas have such little water content so a
lot of it is required to make even a decent amount.
Cassareep is mainly used to prepare pepperpot, and I have found great joy in
replacing maple syrup with cassareep for pancakes, waffles and desserts. I also add it
to salad dressings and sauces.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A
Cookbook by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by
Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from
the publisher.

Mom’s Dhal
When comfort calls, this humble dhal satisfies me like nothing else. As kids, my
brother Jai and I would tear up fresh homemade Roti and dip them into our dhal.
It’s a simple dish with humble ingredients, often prepared whenever we needed
a quick and hearty meal on the table. More importantly, this heirloom recipe is a
preservation of my cultural ancestry and, more importantly, an invaluable
connection to my late grandmother. It’s the perfect expression of my family.

Serves 4

[Veg] [Vegan] [GF] [DF] [NF]

Dhal [ingredients]
1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1–2 Wiri Wiri chili peppers, to taste (see Note)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin, toasted
1 cup baby spinach leaves
 Roti to serve

Chunkay [ingredients]
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Dhal [method]
Add 10 cups water to a large saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium
heat. Stir in split peas and salt. Add garlic, Wiri Wiri chili pepper(s), onion, scallion,
curry powder, turmeric and cumin. Mix well. Cover partially, then simmer for 35–
40 minutes, until split peas are softened. Remove from heat.
Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Chunkay [method]
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add cumin seeds—they should
sputter once they hit the oil. Cook for 30 seconds before adding garlic, then fry until
golden brown.

Assembly [method]
Carefully pour the chunkay into the dhal. Cover with a lid and set aside for 2–
3 minutes to trap the aromas. Stir, then serve.

Notes: Chunkay is a way of tempering aromatics before they’re added to a dahl.

East Indians have something similar called tadka or parka.

Wiri Wiri chili peppers can be substituted with half the amount of Scotch
bonnet or habanero chili peppers.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A
Cookbook by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by
Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from
the publisher.
 Doubles

Rob Base and E-Z Rock said it best: it takes two to make a thing go right. While
doubles have a ubiquitous presence throughout the Caribbean—especially in
Trinidad and Tobago—this snack originated in India. Two fried pieces of dough
(bara) sandwich a spiced chickpea curry known as channa. Finish it with lashings of
hot sauces and there you have it, my friends—my all-time favorite vegan dish.

Serves 4–6

[Veg] [Vegan] [DF] [NF]

Flatbread (bara) [ingredients]

1 tsp active dried yeast

11/2 tsp sugar
2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil, for greasing and frying

Curried chickpea filling (channa) [ingredients]

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (19-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp Green Seasoning
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 Scotch bonnet chili pepper, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
 Cucumber chutney [ingredients]
1 cucumber, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Green Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Assembly [ingredients]
1 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
Tamarind-Date Chutney
2 Tbsp store-bought or homemade Hot Sauce and/or Mango Sour

Flatbread (bara) [method]

In a large bowl, combine yeast and sugar. Pour in 3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp warm water.
Set aside for 5 minutes, or until bubbles start to form.
Add flour, baking powder, turmeric and salt and mix well. Using your hands,
knead dough until a ball is formed. (Alternatively, prepare the dough in a stand
mixer with the dough hook attachment.)
Oil a large bowl, then add dough. Cover with a dish towel and set aside for 1–
2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Curried chickpea filling (channa) [method]

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and
sauté for 7 minutes, until onion is softened and translucent. Reduce heat, if
necessary, to avoiding burning.
Stir in chickpeas, green seasoning, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, amchur
powder and Scotch bonnet chili pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté
for 4–5 minutes until flavors mingle. Pour in 2 cups water and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes. Using
the back of a spoon, mash some of the chickpeas to thicken filling.

Cucumber chutney [ingredients]

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
 Assembly [method]
Heat oil in a cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat until it reaches a
temperature of 350°F.
Lightly oil a clean work surface. Take a small piece of dough (slightly smaller
than a golf ball) and cover unused dough with a dish towel. Using your hands, press
out into a thin disk, about 4–5 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough
balls.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully lower the flatbreads into
the hot oil and fry for 3–4 seconds on each side, until golden. Transfer to a paper
towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining flatbreads. Makes about
14–16 pieces.
Place 2 flatbreads, side by side and slightly overlapping, on each plate. Top both
pieces with 3 Tbsp of curried chickpea filling, 1 Tbsp cucumber chutney, 1–2 tsp
tamarind-date chutney and hot sauce (and/or mango sour). Serve warm.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A
Cookbook by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by
Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from
the publisher.

Poutine
C’mon, how could I NOT add this recipe?! Our national dish ticks all the
comfort food boxes: something starchy (potatoes, check), something salty (cheese
curds, check) and all of it smothered in a rich, indulgent gravy (check, check, check).
Apart from denim-on-denim (#Canadiantuxedo), nothing gets more Canadian than
this.

Serves 4

[Veg] [GF] [NF] [30]

 Gravy [ingredients]
2 tsp grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme
Sprig of rosemary
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

Poutine [ingredients]
4 cups frozen French fries
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt
1 cup cheese curds
Chopped chives, for garnish

Gravy [method]
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper and sauté
for 7–8 minutes, until golden brown. Add garlic and sauté for another minute, until
fragrant. Stir in mushrooms, thyme and rosemary and sauté for 7–8 minutes.
Add vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar and mix well. Pour in 11/2 cups water
and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 1–2 Tbsp water and add to the pan,
then simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs.
Using an immersion blender, blend gravy until smooth. Set aside.

Poutine [method]
 Heat oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan, a third full, over medium-high heat,
until it reaches a temperature of 350°F. Carefully lower fries into the pan, taking care
not to splash hot oil. Deep-fry for 6–7 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a
paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. Season with salt.
Transfer fries to a serving plate. Top with cheese and ladle with gravy. Garnish
with chives and serve.

Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A
Cookbook by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by
Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from
the publisher.