Tag: sri lankan

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Served: 6 – 8

This is a great – really great – curry.

Though it could have ended in tears.

We found it after a coin-toss between staying in or going out for dinner last Saturday, the appeal of the couch, cuddles and some shitty TV shows winning hands-down.

Found on my phone after a few searches and keywords, we had the ingredients, we had our PJs on and we were ready to go.

Except that the instructions were completely unaligned to the ingredients.

We almost had two sets of ingredients: those in the list of ingredients and those in the method.

Normally we would read the instructions or at least give them a glance before cooking, though we were on a phone when we chose the dish, we were still distracted, comprehending our coin-toss and besides, we cook plenty of curries.

We know the drill.

What ghee are you asking for? Marinate what fish? Who’s Fred?

So we winged it.

And the winging came up good. Great in-fact.

Determined not to lose to the madman that pulled the original monster together, we pushed on and here you have that curry.

Neither will you be a loser if you do this number.

It is just great!

Ingredients

1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
6 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
5 dried curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
1 kg chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces
15 fresh curry leaves
2 tbsp freshly squeened lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
240ml coconut milk
1 tsp brown sugar
Yoghurt and coriander to serve

Method

  1. Heat your salamander to high and peel your prawns. (Monster).
  2. Heat all the spices in a dry pan for 1 – 2 minutes until aromatic. Place in a grinder and grind to a fine powder.
  3. Fry the oil in a large saucepan of a medium heat and add the fresh curry leaves and fry for 1 minute. Add the onions and cook for 4 – 5 minutes until slightly browned and soft.
  4. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes and add the spice powder, tomato paste and 250ml of warm water. Mix well and cover, cooking for 45 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in the coconut milk, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and cook for a further 15 minutes or until you have a thickened gravy. Add the sugar and salt for taste.
  6. Serve with coriander and a dollop of yoghurt.
  7. Turn off the salamander.

Dry Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

.Reading time 3 minutes.
IMG_7322.JPG
One of the best curries we have cooked.

Serves: 6 – 8

When you stumble onto a curry as good as this, it is like hitting a home run.

Because whilst I type of plenty of really good and often fantastic recipes, outstanding recipes are much rarer. And this is one of them.

It didn’t start life as a dry curry – and of course by dry, it simply means without lots of gravy – though that is pretty much the genius of the whole thing.

Whereas the original recipe asked for 40 minutes of slow simmering, we had it on for at least three hours.  Closer to four I think.

And whereas the original asked for coconut cream and two slices of lemon rind right at the end, we skipped this. And thank god we did.

After such a long cooking time, the chicken is literally falling apart. The texture, the flavor is so warm and deep, it is impossible not to grin. You realise you have struck gold.

But the next morning on some soy-linseed toast?

You really will thank me later on this one.

Ingredients

1.5kg skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
10 curry leaves
2 onions
2 tsp garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tomatoes, diced
6 cardamom pods, bruised and cracked open
1 cinnamon stick
2 slices lemon rind
½ c coconut milk

Method

  1. Make a sachet d’épices (a cheesecloth tied with cooking string) holding the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick; you don’t have to do this step of course, though the joy of this dish is only enhanced by the smooth sailing eating it without removing cardamom pieces as you go.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, medium heat and fry the curry leaves until they start to turn colour. Add onions, ginger and garlic and cook until soft. Add all the spices (though not the sachet d’épices (whole spices), salt, and vinegar and stir well.
  3. Add the chicken and stir to coat meat. Add the sachet d’épices (whole spices) and the tomatoes, stir and cover.
  4. Simmer on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not be tempted to add any water as the juices will make more than enough. Cook for two to four hours or under the sauce has really reduced and the chicken is falling apart, ensuring that the curry does not become too dry and burn.
  5. Serve with rice and then toast the next morning.

Fish (or Prawn) Polkiri Thiyal

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

I had this very skillfully cooked for me last night by master curry chef Rob Ashes… and it was as fantastic as it was unique.

Recently returned from Sri Lanka and with a pretty seriously traditional looking cookbook in hand, this recipe is Sinhalese cuisine which I suspected meant ‘tasty tasty’ but instead effectively means the cuisine you eat if you are not Tamil.

I’m not sure what Rob did for the rampe (pandanus leaf) except to leave it out; according to Google, it should be available from Indian food stores or flip a coin and either leave it out or try anything from coriander to lime leaf to rose water.

Enjoy this curry which Rob adapted and I have further adapted. It is definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

500gm firm white fish, 3cm cubes (or prawns, shelled)
1 onion, chopped
Punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green chillis, thinly sliced
Cinnamon stick
1 tsp turmeric
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp butter
3cm rampe (pandanus leaf)
1 tsp lime juice
½ c coconut milk
10 curry leaves
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
A few grinds of pepper
Salt to taste

Method

  1. Heat the butter in a large pan and saute the onions, curry leaves, cinnamon and rampe.
  2. Mix in the garlic, ginger, turmeric and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of water and then place the fish (or prawns) in the pan. Coat with the mixture, add the coconut milk and bring to the boil.
  3. Turn the heat down and cook for 5 minutes remembering that you want the sauce to be thick. Add the pepper, green chillis, tomatoes and lime. Cook for another five minutes and serve.