Sri Lanka chicken curry
Instructions:
- 1.5 kg (3 lb) roasting chicken or chicken pieces.
- 3 tablespoons oil;
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds;
- a sprig of fresh curry leaves;
- 2 large onions, finely chopped;
- 3 teaspoons chopped garlic;
- 3 teaspoons finely grated ginger;
- 1 teaspoon turmeric;
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder;
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander;
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin;
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel;
- 2 teaspoons paprika;
- 2 teaspoons salt;
- 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice;
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped;
- 6 cardamom pods, bruised;
- 1 cinnamon quill;
- 1 stem lemongrass, whole, bruised;
- 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) thick coconut milk.
- Cut the chicken into ‘curry’ pieces, which means cutting breast and thighs in half, leaving the wings and drumsticks whole.
- Heat the oil and fry the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry on a medium - low heat until the onions are soft and golden. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, cumin, fennel, paprika, salt and vinegar. Stir well.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir over a medium heat until the pieces are thoroughly coated with spices. Add the tomatoes, whole spices and lemongrass, leaves tied in a knot. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes. Add the coconut milk, leave the pan uncovered, and taste and correct the seasoning with salt and a little lemon juice if desired. Remove the lemongrass and serve with Ghee Rice and accompaniments.
- A quicker way to make this is to use Charmaine Solomon’s Sri Lanka Curry Paste instead of the Spice Mixture ingredients. There is no need to chop onions, garlic and ginger, as they are already in the paste. Even curry leaves have been added, but if you wanted to add a sprig of these or a short length of pandan leaf or a stem of lemongrass, all the better.