What is Sri Lankan Chicken Curry?
How to Cook Sri Lankan Chicken Curry?
Marinated chicken breasts are added to a pan with sauteed onions, garlic, and chilies. The chicken is then simmered in these spices until cooked. Potatoes are added to reduce the spiciness and saltiness of the curry. This is a dry sri lankan chicken curry recipe cooked without using coconut milk, and adding potatoes instead to makes for a heartier, healthier meal.
Dishes to pair with Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
I prefer pairing this curry with hot rice and pol sambol (coconut relish). One of my friends prefer eating it with buttered bread. You should try it both ways, because they are both delicious!!!
This authentic and easy Sri Lankan chicken curry can also be served with dishes such as:
Curries such as Spicy Dhal Curry or Mild Dhal Curry
Fried dish such as fried leeks, fried potatoes or dry eggplant curry.
Salads such a simple vegetable salad, Cabbage leaf salad (mallum) or Gotu Kola salad (sambola)
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below. I would love to get your feedback. As always, love and good vibes to you all. Happy cooking!
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry (Dry)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Chicken Breasts used here
- 10 Curry leaves optional, adds more flavor
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 2 Tomatoes small
- 2 Green chillie Add more chillies for heat
- 1 Potato
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 1/4 cup Water
Marinade
- 1 tsp Tamarind concentrate Dissolved in 2 tbsp of water
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Curry powder roasted
- 2 tbsp Chillie powder
Seasoning
- 1 tsp Chillie powder
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Curry powder roasted
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and add all ingredients under "marinade" to it
- Mix the chicken well with the marinade, and keep in fridge for at least 30 mins (I usually kept it overnight to marinade well)
- Heat oil in a pan, and add the chopped onions, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves
- When the onions are browned (5 mins), add all ingredients listed until "seasoning"
- Cook for 1-2 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes and fry for another 1-2 minutes
- Add the marinated chicken
- Add about 1/4 cup of water (making sure not to wash off the marinade)
- Close pan and cook on a low flame for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked well
- Slice the potato into quarters and add to the curry
- Cook until the potatoes are done all the way. Curry is now ready to serve 🙂
Chicken Curry Step by Step Instructions
Heat 1tbsp of coconut oil in a pan. Then add the chopped onions, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves.
Once the onions start to brown, add all the ingredients listed under ‘Seasonings’ (1tsp each of chili powder, pepper and roasted curry powder/garam masala). Cook ONLY for 1-2 minutes, otherwise seasonings will burn.
Add chopped tomatoes to pan and cook for about 5 minutes
Add the marinated chicken into the pan. Add 1/4 cup of water (use to wash any remaining marinade in pan), and add liquid to pan being careful not to wash off the marinade on the chicken. Close lid and cook on low flame for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes of cooking, the chicken curry will look like this, and it is ready to eat. The next steps (adding potatoes and cooking until curry dries out) are optional
Add a thinly sliced (this is important, otherwise it will take a longer time to cook) potato and cook with a closed lid on low flame until potato slices are cooked all the way. You can check if potatoes are done by sticking a fork to see if they break easily. Now it is ready to eat!
