Chicken Curry


A Sri Lankan style curry


Recipe Posted on 30th April, 2005
Recipe Source: This recipe comes from a Sri Lankan cookbook called Sri Lankan Flavours: A journey through the island's food and culture, by Channa Dassanayaka (Hardy Grant Books, 2003). It's one of the best curry recipe books that I own. A recipe for the Roasted Curry Powder used in this curry is posted on this website.

Serves 4

Ingredients
8-12 chicken drumsticks
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons Roasted Curry Powder
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
2-3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
5 cm (2 in) piece of rampe (pandanus leaf)
10 curry leaves (or 2 bay leaves)
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
40g (1½ oz) lemongrass, white part only, chopped finely
1-2 green chillies, chopped
2 teaspoons crushed or grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
300 ml (10 fl oz) coconut milk
½ cup coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

Method
Season the chicken with chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric and salt and leave for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan until very hot. Add onions, rampe, curry leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, lemongrass, green chilli, ginger and garlic and sauté until golden brown: 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the chicken and pepper and sauté for 6 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Sprinkle with coriander (cilantro) leaves and serve.