Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

If you were like me and never felt you were happy with your homemade curry creations well look no further. I learned this recipe in a Sri Lankan curry workshop and it is remarkably easy to make. The only real issue is finding the ingredients. You will need to find your local Asian shop and locate Rampe (Pandan leaves), fresh curry leaves & fresh ground coconut. All 3 keep perfectly in the freezer so once you find it well then you can then defrost whenever you require.
Makes 2 generous servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamons
1 large onion
3 green chillis
100g cashew nuts (unsalted)
1 tbsp of ground coconut (fresh is best)

6 chicken thighs
2 sprigs of curry leaves
10cm rampe (pandan leaf)
250ml coconut milk
Sunflower oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Coriander leaves (to serve)
Basmatti rice

Cooking utensils
Chopping board
Sharp Knife
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl
Pestle & mortar
Blender
Wok or large frying pan
Saucepan for rice

Preparation

 
- In your pestle & mortar start to smash up your cardamom, coriander & cumin seeds.
 

- To aid the pulping quickly blitz your onion, garlic & chilli and transfer to your pestle & mortar. Pound all ingredients until you get a nice pulp consistency.
- Quickly blitz your cashew nuts and add to the pulp along with the ground coconut

- Combine all your spices now with your chicken and let sit together for 30 minutes

- With your coconut milk you want to combine equal amount of water with the milk.


Cooking
- Cook your rice as per instructions

- Heat your wok to a medium/high heat. Add your chicken mix and cook for 5 minutes until all chicken is sealed. (the nuts will stick to pan but do not worry as the coconut milk will remove this later)

- Add your rampe & curry leaves and cook for a further couple of minutes
 

 
- Add your coconut milk and turn down to a medium heat
- Cook for about 30 minutes remembering to stir every 5 minutes or so...adding coconut milk as desired as it will evaporate with cooking

- Serve on a bed of white rice with fresh coriander leaves as garnish

ENJOY!!!