How to make Hot Chicken Curry - Sri-Lankan way
Introduction
Sri-Lankan curries are spicy and hot, therefore its advisable to adjust the amount of chillie powder and green chillies according to your taste. If you can find a clay pot that you can use on your stove, it would be great. Because, normally Sri-Lankan curries are best cooked in clay pots. But please make sure that you can use it on your stove.
Ingredients
5-6 pieces Chicken thighs or drumsticks
1 medium sized tomato -sliced
1 large onion - sliced
1-2 green chillies - sliced (vertically)
1 teaspoon red chillie powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard paste
a few cummin seeds ( about 1/2 teaspoon )
3-4 cardamoms
2-3 cloves
1" cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves garlic - crushed and chopped
about 1/2 teaspoon of chopped ginger - optional
a few curry leaves (or some herbs like oregano)
about 2" stem lemon grass
1 table spoon tamarind (dissloved in water) or 1 table spoon vinegar
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1 table spoon cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
about 1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
First, marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, turmeric powder and vinegar (or tamarind) for a half an hour or more. You may make a few slits on meat, so that it would absorb thoroughly.
Heat the oil in the pot (or a pan) and add the cummin seed, garlic & ginger. Stir fry for about one minute and then add onion, green chillies, curry leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Stir fry for 2 more minutes or until onions get slightly browned. Now add curry powder and chillie powder. Stir fry for not more than one minute (do not over do this) and add the meat. Stir fry for about 2 minutes or until chicken pieces become white.
Add water and rest of the ingredients, except coconut milk and mustard. Cook for about 10 minutes in medium heat, uncovered.
Now add coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is done. Do not over cook.
Lastly add the mustard paste and take the pot off the stove. Or else you will loose the gravy.
You can enjoy this Chicken Curry with rice (and with some other vegetable curries) or with bread or Sri-Lankan food like Hoppers, String Hoppers or Pittu.