Caribbean

Serving

Mannish Water

Name: Mannish Water
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 lbs goat meat with bones, cut into pieces; 1 lb green bananas, peeled and quartered; 2 medium yellow yams, peeled and chopped; 2 chayote (cho cho), peeled and diced; 1 packet spinner dumpling mix (1 cup flour + water); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 bunch scallions, chopped; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, left whole; 1 tbsp whole allspice berries (pimento); 4 sprigs fresh thyme

A robust Jamaican goat soup spiced with allspice and Scotch bonnet, traditionally served as a hearty restorative broth.

120 minutes

Serves 5

Lunch

42 min prep

66 min cook

Contains common allergens

Wheat

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

5 steps

1
Rinse the goat meat well, then place it in a large pot with 10 cups of water, the allspice berries, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
2
Reduce the heat and simmer the goat for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam, until the meat begins to turn tender.
3
Add the green bananas, yam, and chayote and continue cooking for 25 minutes until the provisions are soft.
4
Make small spinner dumplings by rolling pinches of stiff flour dough between your palms, then drop them into the pot along with the garlic, scallions, thyme, and the whole Scotch bonnet.
5
Simmer for another 20 minutes until the dumplings float and the broth is rich, then discard the Scotch bonnet, season with salt to taste, and serve piping hot.

Mannish Water — plated and served — Serving moment. How Mannish Water looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

61/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 28

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

545

Calories

48 g

Protein

23 g

Carbs

29 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Mannish Water is a Jamaican goat-head soup traditionally served at celebrations and known as a reputed aphrodisiac, hence the playful name. It is a labor of long simmering, where goat meat and bones release their richness into a broth thickened by ground provisions like yam and green banana and finished with hand-rolled spinner dumplings.

Listahan note

This version simmers the goat a full hour with whole allspice berries before any provisions go in, so the broth has time to build body from the bones. It stages the green bananas, yam, and chayote ahead of the quick-cooking dumplings so nothing turns to mush by the time the soup is rich.

Technique cues

Skimming the foam off the goat during the first hour of simmering keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting rather than muddy.
Adding the green bananas, yam, and chayote 25 minutes before the dumplings stages the cook so the provisions soften without disintegrating.
The spinner dumplings are rolled thin from stiff dough and dropped in last; they float when done, which is the cue the broth has thickened.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Peel and chop the yam, banana, and chayote during the goat's first simmer hour so they are ready to add on cue.
Make-ahead: Simmer the goat broth a day ahead; reheat and add provisions and fresh dumplings before serving.
Leftover move: Leftover soup thickens overnight; loosen with water and reheat as an even heartier next-day bowl.
Cleanup rhythm: Fish out the spent thyme stems and Scotch bonnet before storing so the pot strains itself as you serve.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

goat meat with bones

Main protein and broth base

Purpose: The bones and connective tissue give the soup its deep, gelatin-rich body over the long simmer.

Handling: Rinse well and simmer with skimming for an hour before adding anything else.

Adaptation: Mutton or lamb shoulder with bone works for a similar rich broth and a milder gaminess.

green bananas

Starchy provision

Purpose: Unripe bananas hold their shape and add the starchy heft that defines the soup.

Handling: Peel and quarter them and add with the other provisions so they soften evenly.

Adaptation: Green plantain is the closest stand-in, slightly firmer and less starchy.

yellow yams

Starchy provision

Purpose: True yam thickens the broth as it breaks down at the edges while staying chunky in the center.

Handling: Peel and chop into even pieces so they cook through in the 25-minute window.

Adaptation: Eddo, dasheen, or even potato can fill in, though potato breaks down faster.

whole allspice berries (pimento)

Warm spice

Purpose: Jamaican pimento gives the broth its warm, peppery aroma that is essential to the dish.

Handling: Add the whole berries at the start so they infuse during the full simmer.

Adaptation: A teaspoon of ground allspice works but is harder to strain out and can cloud the broth.

spinner dumplings

Thickener and starch

Purpose: The flour dumplings both add chew and lightly thicken the broth as they cook.

Handling: Roll stiff dough between your palms into thin spinners and drop them in last.

Adaptation: Small store-bought dumpling dough or even gnocchi can substitute in a pinch.

Technique notes

Keep the goat at a bare simmer, not a hard boil, so the meat turns tender without toughening.
Roll the dumplings thin and uniform so they cook through in the final 20 minutes and float together.
Hold the whole Scotch bonnet against the pot side rather than letting it burst, then remove it once the broth has its aroma.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Skip the wheat-flour spinners and thicken with extra yam, or use a gluten-free dumpling dough.
Milder direction: Add the Scotch bonnet for the last 10 minutes only and remove it early for gentle background heat.
Leaner direction: Skim more aggressively and chill the broth to lift off the fat cap before reheating.

Serve alongside

Hard dough bread
Bammy (cassava flatbread)
Water crackers
Steamed callaloo
White rum (traditional, in moderation)
Ginger beer
Sky juice (coconut water with lime)

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a covered pot or container for up to 3 days.
Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water since the provisions thicken the broth as it sits.
Freeze the broth and meat for up to 2 months; add fresh dumplings and provisions after thawing for best texture.

Equipment

Large stockpot
Skimming ladle
Sharp knife for peeling tough provisions
Slotted spoon for the dumplings

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