Maya's Curry

A dish that Tobagans are proud to call their own, salty-spicy crab and dumpling originates from the ingenuity of Tobago’s West African enslaved people, who sourced crabs to round out the meager diet they were provided. The introduction of curry sauces from Indian indentured laborers in the 19th century gave rise to the generously seasoned coconut gravy that crab and dumpling is prepared with today. Laroot’s version features jumbo saltwater-crab meat simmered in a curry of more than a dozen spices, covering all six rasas of the Ayurvedic diet. A side of gluten-free dumplings made from green plantains, rather than the traditional cassava root, lends a starchy foil to the affair.