Srilankanchicken Recipes

SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine the vinegar, tamarind juice, 1/4 cup curry powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
• Heat the coconut oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Cook the sliced onion, green chiles, cardamom pods, cloves, curry leaves, ginger, and cinnamon stick until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the chicken mixture, water, and tomato paste. Stir and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted curry powder and stir until evenly dispersed.
• Gradually stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. (Do not overheat or the coconut milk may curdle.)

SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat a heavy pan on a low flame. Add in all the ingredients listed under curry powder. Slowly roast all the ingredients till the spices turn fragrant and the mustard seeds slowly starts to pop here and there. The rice would have slightly turned brown. Set aside everything on a plate to cool. Grind to a smooth powder. Set aside.
• Marinate the chicken with the marination ingredients. Set aside for 30 minutes. Make sure that the pieces are small. If using chicken legs, make some gashes so the masalas can permeate well.
• Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and cardamom.
• Add in the curry leaves, green chillies and sliced onions. Saute for a few minutes.
• Add in the red chiili powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder and the ground curry masala powder. Add all of the curry masala powder. Saute for a couple of minutes. Let the masalas get roasted well. The aromas from the pan should now waft the kitchen.
• Add in the ginger garlic paste. saute for a minute.
• Add in the marinated chicken, lemon grass and pandan leaves to the pan. Mix well to combine. Let the chicken cook for five minutes. Keep sauteing.
• Add in the coconut milk. Add in a cup of water. Add in the remaining salt.
• Now close the pan with a lid and lower the flame. Let it simmer for 45 minutes on a low flame. Cooking on a low flame is key to develop the flavors.
• Sri Lankan chicken curry is ready.

SRI LANKAN FRIED CHICKEN & HOPPERS

Steps:

• To prepare the chicken, tip the coconut milk into a jug and stir in the garlic, spices and 1 tsp salt. Put the chicken in a plastic container or roasting tin and pour over the brine mix to cover. Cover with cling film and chill for 24 hrs.
• For the hoppers, put the rice flour in a large bowl. In a jug, combine 125ml water with the yeast and sugar, and leave for about 8 mins until you see some foaming. Pour in the coconut milk and whisk the wet ingredients into the rice flour to make a smooth batter, slightly thinner than pancake batter. Season, cover and allow to ferment overnight in the fridge.
• To make the kiri hodi, put all the ingredients (except the coconut milk, lime juice and spinach) in a heavy-based saucepan. Add 1 tbsp water and simmer over a low heat for 5 mins or until the onion softens. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for a further 1-2 mins (do not boil). Tip in the spinach, stir until wilted, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and add the lime juice.
• To make the sambol, use a pestle and mortar or mini processor to grind the onions with the chillies, a big pinch of salt and smoked paprika, to form a coarse paste. Season with lime juice and more salt, if needed.
• To cook, remove the chicken and hoppers mix from the fridge for about 1 hr so they come to room temperature. To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or saucepan until it reaches 180C on a cooking thermometer. To make the fried chicken coating, combine all the ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Piece by piece, remove the chicken from its brine, allow the excess to drip off, then dredge it in the coating. Shake off the excess and fry in the oil for 6-8 mins until cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper, then rest in a low oven while you make the hoppers.
• Make the hoppers. Whisk your hoppers base to remove any lumps. Add a splash more water to thin it if needed. Heat a non-stick frying pan, a hopper pan or small high-sided wok and brush on some rapeseed oil with kitchen paper. Add a ladle of mix to the pan and immediately swirl it around and up the edges to create a bowl-shaped pancake. Cook for 1 min, then add an egg and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the egg is cooked and the edges are starting to brown. Repeat with the remaining batter and eggs. Serve the hoppers with the chicken, sambol and kiri hodi.