Srilankanchicken 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:

• 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:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions till golden brown.
• melt the butter in the same pan.
• Add the peas, raisins and fry for 1 minute.
• Remove the onion peas and raisins, leaving the fat and oil in the pan. Set on one side till later.
• Turn the heat down and cook the chilli powder, curry powder, curry leaves, garlic and ginger for 4 minutes.
• Add the meat and black pepper, cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook till the meat is almost cooked.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the gravy and set aside.
• Add the rice to the pan with just enough water to cook the rice, stir and cover the pot. Cook on low heat for about 18 mins till rice is cooked.
• Serve garnished with the the onions, peas and raisins,and nuts, and the gravy on the side. A simple pineapple curry goes well with this dish, even the kids love it.

Steps:

• To prepare the chicken, tip the coconut milk into a jug and stir in the garlic, spices and 1 tsp salt. Put the chicken in a plastic container or roasting tin and pour over the brine mix to cover. Cover with cling film and chill for 24 hrs.
• For the hoppers, put the rice flour in a large bowl. In a jug, combine 125ml water with the yeast and sugar, and leave for about 8 mins until you see some foaming. Pour in the coconut milk and whisk the wet ingredients into the rice flour to make a smooth batter, slightly thinner than pancake batter. Season, cover and allow to ferment overnight in the fridge.
• To make the kiri hodi, put all the ingredients (except the coconut milk, lime juice and spinach) in a heavy-based saucepan. Add 1 tbsp water and simmer over a low heat for 5 mins or until the onion softens. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for a further 1-2 mins (do not boil). Tip in the spinach, stir until wilted, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and add the lime juice.
• To make the sambol, use a pestle and mortar or mini processor to grind the onions with the chillies, a big pinch of salt and smoked paprika, to form a coarse paste. Season with lime juice and more salt, if needed.
• To cook, remove the chicken and hoppers mix from the fridge for about 1 hr so they come to room temperature. To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or saucepan until it reaches 180C on a cooking thermometer. To make the fried chicken coating, combine all the ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Piece by piece, remove the chicken from its brine, allow the excess to drip off, then dredge it in the coating. Shake off the excess and fry in the oil for 6-8 mins until cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, then rest in a low oven while you make the hoppers.
• Make the hoppers. Whisk your hoppers base to remove any lumps. Add a splash more water to thin it if needed. Heat a non-stick frying pan, a hopper pan or small high-sided wok and brush on some rapeseed oil with kitchen paper. Add a ladle of mix to the pan and immediately swirl it around and up the edges to create a bowl-shaped pancake. Cook for 1 min, then add an egg and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the egg is cooked and the edges are starting to brown. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Serve the hoppers with the chicken, sambol and kiri hodi.

Steps:

• Fry the chicken just until the outside is golden. Then remove.
• Fry onion, garlic and giner until softened. Then add curry powder (add chilli powder/cayenne pepper if want spicier curry), paprika, paprika, bay leaves. Mix and cook for a few min until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 1 tsp sugar. Mix to coat. NB you could also add other vegetables here e.g carrot, pepper e.t.c.
• Add coconut milk, equal amount of water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and put in to a slow cooker on high for 3 hours.
• If you don't have a slow cooker follow the same steps but add the chicken (potentially cut up in to smaller pieces) with the onions, garlic e.t.c. chicken. Cook for 10 min before adding the coconut milk and then cook for 20 min with the lid on.