SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRY RECIPE

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry Recipe by Aasai Rasai

Since uploading this video for my way of making Sri Lankan chicken curry, I have had a handful of reviewers on YouTube disputing the recipe's authenticity because I use a little yogurt/curd in the recipe. 

So let me clear up some doubts here. 

Firstly, Sri Lanka has always remained multi-ethnic, and Sri Lankan food reflects that. And no two chicken curries will ever taste the same because each family has their own preparation.

The cuisine is often infused with different ingredients and preparation methods originating from family recipes, and regional and ethnic influences.  

Any food that is claimed to be 'Sri Lankan' by anyone, does not imply only Sinhalese cuisine, just because Sinhalese are the majority of Sri Lanka's population. In fact, it actually reflects the food's origins in terms of geographical location, because that would be a strong indication of the unique ingredients, preparation and methods used. 

Also note that, in multi-ethnic families and communities, the food can have a blend of ingredients that are foriegn to someone who may not share similar family or background infuences in their own recipes. 

One such ingredient is the curd/yogurt used in this chicken curry. 

Being that I am a southern Sri Lankan Burgher/Sihnalese, my family often enjoyed curd with treacle, rice and curry, and curd with jaggery or sugar. Curd was everywhere in my laid-back, southern neck of the woods.

When we moved to Colombo, and met many wonderful, ethnically-diverse families, the food which was always central to everything social, included menus from family recipes and regions within Sri Lanka that reflected each family's roots. And the curd/yogurt was still present in recipes of my tamil friends, who merged with the Sinhalese through marriage , and brought their ingredients into traditional sinhalese food. The Muslims/Moors would do the same, and so did the Burghers and Malays etc. Think rose water in Sri Lankan Christmas Cake. How about Sri Lankan Devilled Chicken? These are examples that reflect a fusion of ingredients, yet they remain authentically Sri Lankan. 

My recipe for Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is no less a reflection of my own family roots and the culinery influences from being around a multi-ethinic family, and a diverse group of friends.

I invite you to try it out and enjoy it for what it is!

Click here to view the video. Or copy and paste the link below in your browser. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nut1GOfhsgs


Good to know: 

Clean off some of the skin in the chicken and trim the fat to reduce oiliness of the curry.
To create more gravy, use more milk or water.
For a thicker gravy, use whole milk & whole milk yogurt
For a thinner gravy use low fat or skim milk yogurt and milk
Dairy milk can be substituted with coconut milk

SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRY RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 whole chicken legs 
1 big onion
1 large tomato
A few curry leaves
4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 whole cloves
3 green cardamoms
1/2 cup curd/yogurt
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar 


Powdered Ingredients:- 

1 Teaspoon each of the following: 

Coriander, paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, cracked black pepper, salt


1/2 teaspoon each of the following:

Cinnamon powder, ginger powder, fennel seeds, dry chillie flakes

*Optional: 

2 green chillies (For heat- Optional)

1/2 cup milk (any dairy or non-dairy) for extra gravy


Method:

• Warm the spices and curry leaves (except salt)for 3 minutes in a heavy-bottomed, medium-hot pan 

• Add the chopped onions and tomato & mix well to coat the spices

• Add the oil and cook for 2 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring all the time

• Season with just a little salt. Adjust salt later when done cooking

• Add the chicken and a little more salt if needed. Mix very well to coat the chicken with the other ingredients

• Add the water and submerge the chicken as best you can to cover the chicken completely in water

•  Turn up the heat to high, cover the pot & cook for 20 minutes. But about 10 minutes into cooking, turn the chicken over to help cook evenly 

• In 20 minutes, mix in the sugar & yogurt or curd

• Let the curd or yogurt dissolve and heat through for 5 minutes  

• Then add the milk 

• After adding milk, turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave it on the hot stove for a further 15-20 minutes 

• It is now ready to enjoy!