Indo Caribbean Dishes in London is bursting at the seams with Indian and Pakistani restaurants from Brick Lane to Brick Lanes. But there’s also a healthy dose of Caribbean cuisine in the capital. They say that everything is bigger in the States but you only need to ride the tube a couple of times to know that this is true for London too. If you love spicy food, London will make your heart sing with its many wonderful places serving up jerk chicken, oxtail and plantain dishes like no other city in the world. Here are our favourite 10 must-try foods from across the Caribbean diaspora in London.
Atikoki and ackee with dumplings
Forget about the naysayers and come to the real world: this is one of the best snacks in the city. We’re talking about a green tamarind-based dipping sauce with a soft dumpling stuffed with ripe, high-oxygen-air ackee. You might find it hard to get your hands on a jar of this Caribbean gem but we recommend a trip to Brick Lane. You can also find this fruit (which is also known as ‘golden apple’) in Greek and Middle Eastern stores. We recommend you take the seeds out, though, as they are toxic.
Tender meat curry with rice and peas
London is also one of the best places in the world to get authentic Indian and Pakistani food. One of the most delicious dishes in this cuisine is the tender meat curry with rice and peas. This can be found in good Indian and Pakistani restaurants in the city. For the rice, look for basmati, a fragrant type of Indian rice that’s best for curries. You can find it in Indian grocery stores. The best time to buy rice is just before a festival, when it’s fresh and cheap. You can also buy rice online.
Jerk chicken and pappadums
Jerk chicken is a spicy chicken dish from Jamaica. You can find it in any good Caribbean restaurant in the city or in any good Indian or Pakistani restaurant in the city. The pappadums make it taste even better. They come in different flavours, like garlic and onion, and are worth trying. You can also try finding a good Caribbean grocery store in the city and make your own pappadums with the green tamarind paste that’s found in Caribbean grocery stores. You can also find green tamarind in any Indian or Middle Eastern grocery store.
Snapper fish curry with rice and coconut bread
This is another best-in-town dish: a spicy fish curry with coconut bread. This is found in good Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Caribbean restaurants in the city. For the curry, you can use any firm fish, like snapper or grouper. Make sure you buy fish that smells fresh, with no fishy odour. Fresh fish should be firm, with no bones and should not be deep red in colour. For the bread, try to find a Caribbean store that sells shredded coconut and Indian stores that sell naan. Use shredded coconut instead of bread to make the curry.
Baked crab with avocado salad and coleslaw
Crab is yet another best-in-town food in London. You can find it in any good Caribbean and Indian restaurant in the city. For the salad, try and find a store that sells fresh and good-quality avocado. Avocados are best when they’re green, but they can also be consumed when they’re a bit brown. You can find good quality avocado in any good Indian store. We recommend making the crab salad with the avocado you find at the store. You can also mix different types of avocados together to make the salad taste better.
Brownies and cheesecake
Last but not least, we have these two great desserts from the Caribbean. Brownies have a rich dark chocolate flavour, whereas cheesecake is creamy and smooth with a dense texture. You can find both in good Indian and Caribbean restaurants in the city. These are both great desserts for sharing with a group of friends or family. Brownies are best eaten fresh out of the oven. They can also be bought in supermarkets, but we recommend going to a local bakery to find the best flavour. There are several different types of brownies in the city, from classic to Mexican to pumpkin, so you’ll have to experiment to find your favourite. If you’re searching for the best brownie in London, you’re in luck. There are probably a lot of people who are trying to find exactly the same thing. So, let’s go straight to the point and talk about the best brownies in London.
Final words: Tips for eating Indo Caribbean Dishes in London
We hope you’ve found this guide helpful as there are so many delicious dishes to try in the Caribbean community in London. We’ve only scratched the surface here, so we’d recommend visiting the websites of the many Caribbean and Indian restaurants in the city to find out what else is on the menu. Once you’ve tried them all, put your new-found knowledge to the test and come up with your own unique way of enjoying these dishes! We’d love to hear from you!
