Calling all curry enthusiasts! If you’re eager to recreate the aromatic flavours of a traditional Sri Lankan chicken curry right in your own kitchen, you’ve come to the right place. On celebrity chef Manu Feildel’s journey following our country’s favourite meat-protein (chicken!) from Farm to Fork, he teamed up with Sri Lankan-Australian Meena at Ingham’s processing plant to cook a delicious traditional Sri Lankan chicken curry and learn some of the secrets to creating your own flavourful, aromatic, warming curry. Inspired by the culinary magic in Manu and Meena ‘Farm to Fork with Manu’ episode, let’s dive into the art of crafting a truly mouthwatering chicken curry.
Meena’s Recipe for Traditional Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
- 1kg boneless chicken thighs – cut into 5cm chunks
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sprig sticks curry leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 3 long green chillies, slit, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons Sri Lankan Curry Powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125ml) coconut milk
- Steamed basmati rice and roti bread to serve
Method:
1. In a bowl combine chicken, turmeric powder and ginger and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry leaves, cinnamon stick and cook for 2 minutes. Add onions and cook for a further 7–8 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add tomatoes, chilies, tomato paste and cook until tomato has softened. Add curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add marinated chicken pieces, mix through and fry for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked. Followed by coconut milk and 1⁄2 cup (60ml) water, season with salt flakes.
4. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes or until curry has reduced. Serve with steamed rice and roti bread.
Watch the video of Meena teaming up with Manu to cook this delicious chicken curry here:
Tips from the video
Meena’s Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is a masterpiece of flavours, and here are some expert tips from her cooking that will elevate your curry game:
1. Cook Your Spices
One of the secrets to a fragrant curry lies in toasting and cooking your spices. The first ingredients Meena adds to the pan when cooking a chicken curry are oil, curry leaves and a cinnamon stick. Meena cooks these for two minutes on medium heat before even adding chopped onion.
While onion is a vegetable at heart, it also acts as a spice providing an aromatic undertone. A top tip for cooking with onion that Meena and Manu both recommend is to make sure you cook the onion until it is translucent and fragrant – this will result in the best flavour base for any recipe.
Before adding any chicken, Meena then adds tomatoes, chilies, tomato paste, and her curry mix to the pan and cooks all of this for two minutes. Smell those delicious flavours!
If making your own curry mix – Meena’s top secret tip is to toast the raw whole spices before crushing as this brings out the full flavours and aromas. Or, Meena recommends Kings Curry Powder from any Sri Lankan grocer, which is made using delicately roasted spices.
2. Curry spice mixes can be truly unique, or chosen off-the-shelf!
In traditional Sri Lankan cooking, Meena explains that every family has their own unique curry spice mix which is often passed down generations, and usually based on ‘a pinch of this and a dash of that’ rather than a set formula and then balanced based on taste and aroma.
Meena explained to Manu that common spices in a Sri Lankan chicken curry spice mix are coriander, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, dried chilies and black pepper.
Or, as a time-saver, choose a good off-the-shelf curry powder! Meena’s go-to is Kings Curry Powder.
3. Fresh Ingredients Matter
Using fresh ingredients, especially aromatic ones like ginger and curry leaves, makes a significant difference in the final taste of your curry. Don’t shy away from using a generous amount of these ingredients for authentic Sri Lankan flavours either. Use fresh tomatoes (roughly chopped and then cooked in your pan with the spices) rather than tinned, and fresh chicken always provides the most succulent result.
4. Choose Chicken Thighs
Another tip from both Meena and Manu – chicken thighs are the best choice for a chicken curry! They are more flavourful and moist compared to chicken breasts and stay more tender and juicy when simmered. The richer meat of chicken thighs also pairs really well with the spices and aromatics of a chicken curry.
4. Simmering is Key
Take your time when cooking the curry. Allowing the spices to bloom and the chicken to simmer in the sauce results in tender meat and a rich, well-developed curry sauce. All up, Meena’s traditional Sri Lankan chicken curry takes about 50 minutes to make – including 30 minutes of simmering time.
5. Balance the Flavours
Achieve a harmonious balance of flavours by adjusting the amount of salt, acidity (with a splash of vinegar or lime juice), sweetness (with a bit of sugar or coconut milk), and heat (with fresh green chilies or dried red chilies) in your curry. Taste as you go and make adjustments accordingly.
6. Make it your own – Balance the Flavours and Finish with Fresh Herbs
Achieve your own harmonious balance of flavours by adjusting the saltiness, acidity, sweetness and heat. You might want to add a squeeze of lime, a dash of brown sugar, or even additional dried chili flakes. Taste as you go and make adjustments to suit your tastes.
Just before serving, sprinkle your chicken curry with freshly chopped coriander or curry leaves. This adds a burst of freshness and enhances the visual appeal of the dish.
Download the ‘Farm to Fork with Manu’ recipe e-book to explore 12 delicious recipes – including Manu’s Sri Lankan Chicken Curry along with 11 other culinary inspirations – to elevate your cooking adventures.
To learn more about Ingham’s and ‘Farm to Fork with Manu’, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.