Curry Cascadura and Dumpling Recipe
Here in Trinidad the Cascadoo (Cascadura or Hoplosternum littorale) also has a legend attached to it. It goes like this…
Anyone who eats the cascadura, wheresoever they may wander, shall end their days in Trinidad.
Well I can certainly say that I will surely be ending my days in Trinidad, because I have eaten this fish a few times already 
. Even writing this, brings back memories of reading Trinidad born author Samuel Selvon’s stories: “Those who eat the Cascadura” (1972) and “Johnson and the Cascadura” (1957) that has immortalised the legend for ages to come. Strange though, it is only now that I have truly come to appreciate all those long hours, doing Literature at Secondary school, studying the local writers such as Samuel Selvon, Earl Lovelace, Michael Anthony and V.S Naipaul.
Other names for the cascadura are the Brown Hoplo or the armoured catfish. For more information you can visit these links below.
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=brownhoplo
http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Agri/Agri_Cascadura.htm
http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Agri/Agri_CASCADURA(2).htm
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8003
Well, enough reminiscing for one day! Today, I present to you the best way I know to eat Cascadoo, i.e. curried with dumpling. If you do make this dish remember the legend as you eat it; who knows,….you might just end up in Trinidad some day.
CURRY CASCADURA AND DUMPLING
Dumpling
For stuffing:
8-10 Cascadoo fishes
1 tbsp. curry
3 medium-sized tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
10 leaves shadow beni
1 small onion
1 pimiento
For curry stew:
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. onion
1 tbsp. garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the cascadoo.
Chop finely the garlic, onion, pimento, and chadon beni.
In a small bowl mix the chopped ingredients and add seasoning mixture. See green seasoning.
Dice the tomatoes .
Mix the seasoned mixture with the curry and masala.
Mix the chopped tomatoes and the seasoning.
This is your stuffing for the fish.
Stuff the fish with the tomato and seasonings mixture.
Heat oil in a heavy sauce pan, add onion and garlic and cook slowly until yellow.
Mix the curry in a little bit of water and add to the heated oil.
Cook slowly.
Add fish and stir until coated with curry.
Add a little water to the curry.
Add coconut milk, salt and pepper to the curry
and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.
Do not let it dry down.
Curry Cascadura.
Knead dough for dumpling. Roll out and shape.
Place dumpling to boil in hot water until it floats to the surface.
These dumplings are ready to be served with the cascadura.Curry Cascadura and dumpling.
Delicious!!
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Don’t forget to leave your comments about this curry cascadura and dumpling recipe.
wow, it’s been a while since i had that! it was one of my fave dishes as a kid.
Curry cascadoo goes so great with dumpling that I don’t think I’ll have it any other way.
I have a friend from Guyana. they call it hassa over there.
I just make cascadura and provision and it real lash. Meh next door neighbor get weal up. Thanks Felix. By the way, ah still waiting for the curry duck recipe.
Curry duck in the makings Mark