Caribbean Food: What It Is, How It Relates to Indian Cooking, and What You’ll Find Here

When you think of Caribbean food, a vibrant mix of African, Indigenous, Indian, and European influences shaped by islands, heat, and sea. Also known as West Indian cuisine, it’s not just jerk chicken and rum—it’s slow-simmered stews, fried plantains, and rice cooked with coconut milk and spices that traveled across oceans. Many of those spices—cumin, turmeric, coriander, and chili—didn’t just stay in India. They rode ships with indentured laborers in the 1800s, landed in Trinidad, Guyana, and Jamaica, and became part of local kitchens. What you get is a cuisine that feels familiar if you’ve ever made dal or chana masala, but with a tropical twist.

One of the biggest links between Caribbean food, a vibrant mix of African, Indigenous, Indian, and European influences shaped by islands, heat, and sea. Also known as West Indian cuisine, it’s not just jerk chicken and rum—it’s slow-simmered stews, fried plantains, and rice cooked with coconut milk and spices that traveled across oceans. and Indian cooking is coconut milk, a creamy, sweet base used to balance heat and add richness. In India, you’ll find it in Kerala curries and Thai-inspired dishes. In the Caribbean, it’s the secret behind rice and peas, callaloo, and fish stews. Then there’s lentils, a humble, protein-packed legume that feeds millions. In India, they’re cooked as dal. In Trinidad, they’re turned into doubles—spiced lentil patties fried and stuffed between fried bread. Same ingredient. Different culture. Same comfort.

And let’s not forget the spice blends, the soul of both cuisines. Indian garam masala and Caribbean curry powder aren’t just similar—they share ancestors. Both use dried chilies, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. The difference? Caribbean versions often add allspice and nutmeg, while Indian ones lean on cardamom and fenugreek. But if you’ve ever made a simple Indian curry, you already know how to build flavor. You just need to swap a few ingredients.

What you’ll find here isn’t a list of Caribbean recipes. It’s a collection of Indian dishes that echo the same soul—dishes where spice isn’t just added, it’s layered. Where lentils aren’t an afterthought, they’re the heart. Where coconut milk doesn’t just thin a sauce, it transforms it. These aren’t random posts. They’re the quiet bridges between two food worlds that never forgot each other. If you’ve ever wondered why your tarka dal tastes like it could be from the Caribbean—or why your roti pairs perfectly with a mango chutney that’s almost like a jerk sauce—you’re in the right place. Let’s get to the recipes that prove flavor doesn’t need borders.