When we supplied Head Chef Nathan Collymore at Vegan Caribbean restaurant Jam Delish, London’s leading vegan Caribbean restaurant, with the Season Shallow Casserole and S4 Chef's Knife, we asked if he could share some Caribbean inspiration with our customers... The result? A beautifully spiced Caribbean Black Eye Pea Daal, slow-simmered to perfection in the Shallow Casserole and prepped with precision using the razor-sharp S4 Chef’s Knife.
This dish layers warming spices, tender black eye peas, and colourful toppings like jerk mushrooms, golden plantain, and salsa verde broccolini. It’s a comforting, flavour-packed meal that celebrates Caribbean cooking — and the right tools to make it shine.
Number of servings: 4-6
Cooking time: 2 hours
Preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients
Aromatics & Base:
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Garlic cloves: 3, finely chopped
Spring onions: 1 bunch, finely chopped
Thyme: 8 sprigs, leaves picked
Scotch bonnets: 2, whole
Main Ingredients:
Tomatoes: 4, seeds removed and diced
Coconut milk: 500ml
Vegan stock: 800ml
Black eyed peas (cooked): 1kg, strained
Ground pimento: 2 tbsp
All-purpose seasoning: 2 tsp
Fresh coriander: 1 bunch
Fresh parsley: 1 bunch
Method
Prepare the base:
In a large pot over low heat, add a splash of oil and gently sauté the finely chopped onion , spring onions, garlic, and thyme for 2–3 minutes, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
Add tomatoes:
Stir in the deseeded, diced tomatoes and cook for another 2–3 minutes until they begin to break down.
Build the flavour:
Pour in the coconut milk, add the ground pimento and all-purpose seasoning, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Add peas and stock:
Add the black eyed peas and cover with the vegan chicken-style stock. Gently place the whole scotch bonnets into the pot (you can remove them later if you want to control the heat).
Simmer:
Reduce the heat and let the daal simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the peas are soft and the flavours have melded together. Stir occasionally.
Final seasoning:
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove the scotch bonnets if desired. Add a pinch of freshly chopped herbs, serve warm and enjoy!
Optional Toppings (Highly Recommended)
Jerk Mushrooms:
Season oyster mushrooms with jerk seasoning and a pinch of ground pimento. Let them marinate for 20–30 minutes.
Heat a frying pan with a little oil, add the mushrooms and sear until golden on both sides.
Transfer to a preheated oven at 180°C fan / 200°C conventional and roast for 20 minutes until slightly crispy at the edges.
Plantain:
Dice the plantain and add to a hot frying pan with oil. Pan-fry until golden and caramelised on the outside.
Broccolini with Salsa Verde:
In the same pan used for the plantain, sauté broccolini until tender-crisp. Finish with a spoonful of salsa verde for brightness.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:
Halve cherry tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 20–30 minutes until soft and golden.
Crispy Roti:
Heat a pan with a little butter. Place the roti flat in the pan and toast over medium heat until both sides are golden and crispy.
Created with
The Season Shallow Casserole is ideal for this kind of slow-simmered, flavour-rich dish. Its cast iron body offers excellent heat retention and even heat distribution , ensuring your base ingredients sauté gently and your stew simmers evenly without hot spots. The dimples on the underside of the lid help to continuously baste the stew as it cooks, keeping everything moist and intensifying the flavours. Plus, the wide surface area gives the stew room to reduce slightly, adding body and depth.
The S4 S21 Chef’s Knife is a professional-grade kitchen essential. Its full tang construction and triple-riveted rosewood handle provide balance, durability, and comfort, while the 67-layer Damascus steel blade — forged around a high-performance 10CR core — delivers exceptional sharpness and edge retention. With a 21cm blade and 61 Rockwell hardness rating, it’s ideal for precise slicing, dicing, and chopping. Trusted by chefs, it’s made with some of the best steel on the planet.
