Chicken Curry
Chicken curry is very common as it’s the one meat that every race and religion on the island can eat – at least those that eat meat. It’s always better cooked on the bone as chicken is quite a delicate meat and needs all the extra flavour it can get.
As a child it was one of the first curries I was willing to try, and my mum’s version is still the one I aspire to. This recipe is based on those memories: it’s hot and oily, tangy with tomatoes and sweetly spiced with cardamom and cloves. Traditionally you wouldn’t see any Sri Lankan curries cooked in the oven, but this method works quite well.
Ingredients 23
1 kg chicken thigh cutlets, including skin and bones, chopped into 2 or 3 pieces each
15 g long red chilli, sliced into rounds
100 g red onion, diced
15 g garlic, finely chopped
15 g ginger, finely chopped
15 g lemongrass, finely chopped, white part only
5 g curry leaves
5 cm lemongrass, bottom of 1 stem, lightly bruised
1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot
200 ml coconut cream
600 g tinned peeled tomatoes
salt flakes
black pepper, freshly ground
Pounded Rice Mix
12 g rice, any variety
8 g grated coconut
2 green bird’s eye chillies
3 cardamom pods
5 cloves, whole
Spice Mix
24 g red curry powder, see my recipe
8 g fenugreek seeds
7 g mustard seeds
4 g chilli flakes
4 g chilli powder
4 g sweet paprika
3 g salt flakes
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Method 8
Use a cleaver to chop each across the bone into two or three pieces, depending on size. Set aside.
The next step is to prepare the pounded rice mix, which will make the gravy nice and thick. Tip the into a small frying pan and gently toast over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until it just begins to colour. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Add the to the pan and toast, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn, for 2–3 minutes until it is an even dark brown colour. Add to the bowl with the .
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the , , , and to a fine consistency. Add a splash of water near the end to make a paste. Rub this mix through the and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so.
Combine the spice mix ingredients (, , , , , and ), massage into the and set aside for another hour. You can do this the day before and leave it overnight in the fridge if preferred. If you are just leaving it for an hour, room temperature is fine.
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
Mix all the remaining ingredients (, , , , finely chopped , , bruised , , and ) through the , making sure you season well with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a shallow baking dish or casserole dish that is large enough to fit everything snugly in a single layer.
Cover closely with a layer of baking paper, then seal with foil or a lid, and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour 20–30 minutes until the is cooked through, checking it every half hour and giving it a good stir.
