Sri Lankan Chicken Curry Recipes

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine the vinegar, tamarind juice, 1/4 cup curry powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
• Heat the coconut oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Cook the sliced onion, green chiles, cardamom pods, cloves, curry leaves, ginger, and cinnamon stick until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the chicken mixture, water, and tomato paste. Stir and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted curry powder and stir until evenly dispersed.
• Gradually stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. (Do not overheat or the coconut milk may curdle.)

Steps:

• In a small skillet, combine the coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, peppercorns and 15 curry leaves. Heat the spice mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until the spices are toasted and fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind into powder. (You should have about 3 1/2 tablespoons.) Set aside the toasted curry powder.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 8 minutes. Add the toasted curry powder, paprika, turmeric and salt, and cook, stirring, another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chiles and remaining 5 curry leaves.
• Add the chicken and toss to cover it in the onion mixture. Add the pandan, cinnamon and lemongrass, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the coconut milk and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes more. (The light meat will be cooked before the dark meat; you can simply remove it when it's done and add it back in when the dark meat is cooked.)
• Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt.

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan and fry curry leaves until they start to turn colour.
• Add onions, ginger and garlic, cook on medium heat until soft. Add all the spices, salt and vinegar and stir well.
• Add the chicken and stir to coat meat. Add whole spices and the tomatoes, stir and cover.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally (don't be tempted to add any water - as the juices will make enough) for 40 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk or even a small amount of cream if coconut milk is not available.
• Stir through and thicken if necessary.
• Serve with rice. the curry can always be made hotter by serving Sambal olek (crushed chilli) for those who like their curry hotter.
• This dish freezes well.

Steps:

• In a deep pan and on a medium heat fry all the ingredients, omitting the coconut milk, chicken pieces and the lemon, for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the chicken pieces to the mixture and stir well. Lower the heat to a minimum so the curry will simmer slowly and with the lid on cook for 30 - 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the salt to taste and the lemon juice and cook uncovered for 2 -3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.