February 26th, 2022: Sri Lanka Chicken Curry (Sri Lanka)

“Todays World Tour of Chicken dishes takes us to Sri Lanka where their version of spicy chicken curry seems to be the national dish! Exciting!

The curry is hot. The chicken falls off the bone. The sauce thickened and the flavors intensified. Definitely needed a dollop of sour cream to cut the heat. But even so, absolutely delicious!”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder

• Prep Time: 20-minutes
• Cook Time: 5-minutes
• Total Time: 25-minutes
• Serves: 4

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder Ingredients:

• 4 T. coriander seeds
• 3 T. cumin seeds
• 2 T. black peppercorns
• 2 T. basmati rice
• 1 T. black mustard seeds
• 3 tsp. whole cloves, large about 15 cloves
• 2 tsp. scant, cardamom seeds from green cardamom seeds from the pods
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds

Sri Lanka Roasted Curry Powder Directions:

1. Place the rice on a dry non stick pan. Heat over medium heat until the rice starts to turn light brown.
2. Add the rest of the spices and pan roast for a further 3 – 5 minutes until the spices start to brown, toast and become aromatic.
3. Keep moving the pan to prevent the spices from burning. Also adjust the cook times according to your stove and pan, to avoid burning the spices. Or your curry powder will be bitter.
4. Remove from the heat and let the spices cool down.
5. Once the spices cool down – use a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle) to grind the spice mix into a powder in batches and mix well. Store in an air tight container.
6. Use as needed.

Sri Lanka Chicken Curry Ingredients:

• 2-3 T. coconut oil
• 1/2 onion yellow or red, diced or sliced.
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 inch ginger minced
• 6 – 7 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
• 2.5 T. roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 small regular cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper or chili powder (less if you like it less spicy.)
• 1 T. paprika not smoked or sweet paprika
• 8 chicken thighs
• 2 serrano peppers (or regular green chili) cut length-wise, with or without seeds
• 3 roma tomatoes cut into cubes (or 2 medium-sized regular tomatoes)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1/2 c. water

Directions:

1. Add the coconut oil in to a large saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger to the heated oil and cook until softened.
2. Add curry powder, chili powder/cayenne pepper, paprika, cinnamon, curry leaves and mix to combine. Cook for a few minutes until you start to smell the spices.
3. Add the chicken, serrano peppers/green chili peppers, salt, 3 roma tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, and mix to coat. Cook for 10-minutes with the lid off, on medium high heat. Stir frequently to make sure the chicken or the spices don’t burn.
4. Add coconut milk, water, vinegar, and bring the curry to a boil. If you want less gravy, add less liquid.
5. Lower the heat, and let it simmer with the lid closed, for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste. The chicken should be completely cooked by this point. Taste the curry and season to taste if needed. You can add the rest of the sugar or more salt, or vinegar to your taste. Remember that curries can be adjusted to your taste!
6. If the chicken curry gravy is too thin, or there’s too much of it, uncover and simmer the curry for a further 10-minutes or longer. This step is optional, but it will allow the water to evaporate and the gravy to thicken.
7. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool down slightly. Serve with rice or roti. You may add a side of yogurt to add as needed if the curry is too hot.