Perfect Sri Lankan chicken curry
Chicken pieces are marinated with ginger and garlic, then simmered in a coconut milk sauce infused with a freshly toasted and ground Sri Lankan spice blend, aromatics, tomatoes and green chillies.
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
Roasted Curry Powder
- 4 g Cardamom Pods green
- 4 tbsp Coriander Seed
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 0.5 tsp Fenugreek Seed
- 0.25 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 2 Clove
- 5 g Cinnamon Stick
- 8 g Rice
- 3 g Fresh Curry Leaves or use slightly less if dried
- 5 cm Pandan Leaf
Curry
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 2 clove Garlic peeled and grated
- 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 Chicken Legs chopped into thighs and drumsticks
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil or neutral oil
- 1 Red Onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 clove Garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 1 stalk Lemongrass trimmed and lightly bruised
- 4 Cardamom Pods squashed
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 3 tbsp Roasted Curry Powder homemade (see above) or shop-bought
- 1 sprig Fresh Curry Leaves
- 2 Plum Tomato ripe, roughly chopped
- 2 Green Chilli finger chillies
- 10 cm Pandan Leaf
- 100 ml Coconut Milk
- Rice to serve
- 1 Lime cut into wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Rub the ginger, garlic and salt all over the chicken, then leave to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients (and for up to 4 hours).
- For the curry powder, stir the dried spices in a large, heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat until browned and aromatic, then tip out and leave to cool.
- Toast the rice until lightly browned, add to the cooling spices, then toast the curry leaves and 5 cm piece of pandan until they have dried out and add those to the mix, too.
- Once everything is cool, put all the spices and rice in a blender or mortar, then whiz or pound to a powder.
- Put the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan on a medium-low heat, then fry the onion for 5 or 6 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cardamom, cinnamon and chilli powder, fry for a minute or so, then stir in the curry leaves and tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes soften.
- At this point, unless your pan is very large, you might find it easiest to scoop out the contents before you cook the chicken.
- Toss 3 tbsp of curry powder with the marinated chicken, then add to the pan with a little more oil, if necessary.
- Turn to coat, then, if necessary, return the tomato mix to the pan and add the chillies and 10 cm piece of pandan leaf.
- Measure out 200 ml water, stir in a splash to help dislodge anything that is stuck to the base of the pan, then pour in the rest of the water and bring to a simmer.
- Cover, turn down the heat and leave to cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn over the chicken pieces, stir in the coconut milk, cover the pan again and leave to cook for another 15 or so minutes, until cooked through.
- Leave to cool slightly, then adjust the seasoning if required, just before serving with rice and perhaps a wedge of lime.