Guyanese History on a Plate…bunjal chicken livers with the simplest of ingredients cooked down to their essence in garlic, pepper, and a pantry curry mix.
Our waste-not-want-not mentality still thrives today as a part of our culinary identity. So many of us have forgotten why we eat parts of the animal that most throw away. Ask your parents and grandparents about their memories of a time when…we took our lack-off and turned it into plenty.
When my good friend Pat came to visit from Florida during my cancer days, she went straight to the butcher, came back, and cooked up pounds of this dish. This is her recipe adjusted ever so slightly. It was the most delicious Guyanese thing I had tasted in decades. That day so many good memories resurfaced to chase the cancer blues away.
Today’s version uses Pete’s Meats chicken livers, a geerah-laden dhal and perfectly steamed basmati. And to complete the meal I am using Cropthorne Farm green beans (instead of bora), and BC potatoes. This is the perfect tropical-comfort meal for a rainy Vancouver day.
I love old-time Guyanese food! We ate such affordable and nourishing food in my youth, no preservatives or chemicals, just pure, clean, delicious homegrown food. Back then, the chickens ran around free and pecked at the ground all day, and we are what we eat so those little birds were as healthy as could be.
These days, look for organic, vegetarian-fed chicken livers. I’ve found the best ones at Pete’s Meat (Arbutus & 12th) and T-Bones in Peachland — their livers seem to come from truly free-range, local farms. With the purest chicken livers, your dish will come together beautifully, with the caramelised onions, pungent garlic, sweet-tangy tomato paste and spicy curry.
NOTE: Always-always wash the chicken livers really well with vinegar and salt.
Chicken livers are packed with iron, vitamin A, B12, and folate, they were once considered essential in the diets of growing children and expecting mothers — especially in old Caribbean homes where food was medicine.
Just 100 grams of chicken liver provides more than:
- 200% of your daily B12 (essential for nerves and energy)
- 100% of vitamin A (great for skin, immunity, and vision)
- Half your daily iron needs (especially good for those who are anaemic or menstruating)
They’re also a rich source of high-quality protein and choline, which supports brain function. And yes — they’re high in cholesterol, but in the context of a balanced diet, they offer far more good than harm.
Eat them in moderation, savour the depth of flavour, and remember…real nourishment often comes from the parts you call scraps.
• 1 lb chicken livers, cut into four pieces each, rinse well, soak in vinegar and salt, then rinse until no scent remains. Method For the Green Beans & Potato For the Dhal Serve with rice for an authentic Guyanese lunch, or with roti for a lighter dinner.
Ingredients
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 wiri-wiri pepper minced or 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Splash of water (3-4 tablespoons)Instructions
1. Put the smashed garlic in the cold oil in a sauté pan and bring to a slight sizzle (do not brown the garlic). Add the onions and pepper and cook until soft and fragrant.
2. Mix all the dry spices together and stir it into the sizzling aromatics. Fry the spices for 30 seconds.
3. Add the livers, season with salt, and stir to coat. Push the livers aside and add the tomato paste…add another tablespoon oil if needed. Mix everything together. Then lower the heat and cover the pan.
4. Let the livers cook on medium heat, releasing their own liquid back into the pan.
5. When most of the liquid evaporates, add a splash of water and bunjal it down — this means letting it cook slowly until all the sauce is reduced and clings to the meat.
6. It should be dark, rich, and full of spice and aroma at this point. Remove from the heat.
Ingredients
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ cup chicken broth
Method
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and tomato and sauté until soft.
2. Add the potato, salt, and a splash of chicken broth. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add green beans, stir, cover again and let everything steam until tender.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should be soft but not mushy.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup yellow lentils
• 6 cups water
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 small piece hot pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon cumin (geerah) seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
1. Wash and boil the dhal with turmeric, pepper and salt, until soft and mushy.
2. Use a whisk or dhal-ghutney stick (swizzle stick) to blend it smooth. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for the tempering.
3. In a separate tiny saucepan, heat oil, garlic and cumin. Bring it to a hard sizzle and fry until dark golden brown.
4. Pour the fragrant oil into the dhal and stir well.Notes