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Kalani

Eatery Style Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

How to make spicy hot Sri Lankan chicken curry at home from scratch. Warm comforting spicy curry is best for rice, chips, tortilla, or bread.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marinating time 12 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Sri Lankan curry
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinade
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp crushed black pepper
  • 1 tsp yellow curry powder
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 inch ginger crushed
  • ½ tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp mustard oil
  • 1 tsp lime juice
For Curry Sauce
  • 2 tbsp red curry powder
  • 4 to 6 whole red hot dry chili peppers
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 inch lemongrass
  • 5 green chili
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Tamarind juice
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Black pepper
  • 4 lb. chicken pieces or one whole chicken
  • 1 inch stick of cinnamon
  • 1 clove garcinia
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 medium red onion

Method
 

  1. If you are using frozen chicken thaw the meat and cut it into bigger pieces. Rinse with cold running water, drain well and pat dry. If you are using fresh whole chicken, remove the skin, rinse, well pat dry and cut into eight pieces (curry cut).
  2. Mix ingredients of marinade. rub it over chicken pieces and marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
Making curry seasoning
  1. Dry roast curry leaves and whole red peppers, set aside
  2. Pound together garlic, ginger, lemongrass, roasted curry leaves, green chili, roasted whole red chili and curry powders along with tamarind, tomato paste and vinegar to make a ball of curry paste or curry mix.
Making the curry
  1. Heat stainless steel stock pot on high and melt coconut oil.
  2. Working in batches seer or fry pieces of chicken in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Chicken pieces do not have to be cooked through, just until they firm up and become golden.
  3. Remove the chicken and add sliced red onion along with cinnamon stick and garcinia. Fry on medium low until golden on the edges.
  4. Return premade curry paste and mix around, followed by seared chicken. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. there should be enough water released from the chicken to cook the dish at that point, but if you feel you don't add another cup and a half of water to cook the chicken.
  5. Cook covered until chicken is cooked through, and oil separates into curry.

Notes

Pieces of chicken cooked but firm not falling apart tender. It is usually cooked with just water and adding coconut milk is optional. curry sauce isn't going to be thick and creamy in texture, but packs good heat and flowy.  As soon as the curry is done remove the piece of garcinia to keep the curry from becoming too sour.