The Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry That's Guaranteed To Impress.
Learn how to make this delicious Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry. This recipe is cheap, easy to make and fulfilling, knowing you’ve created something spectacular. The fragrant aroma of this chicken curry is phenomenal and will leave your house smelling beautiful.
Ingredients
- 1 - Brown (Yellow) Onion, Sliced
- 4 - Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 25g (0.8oz) - Ginger, Peeled & Minced
- 2 Tbsp (50g) + 1 tsp (10g) - Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
- 750g (1.6lbs) - Chicken Thigh
- 3 tsp (7g) - Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp (3g) - Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp (1.5g) - Ground Cloves
- 2 tsp (6g) - Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp (4g) - Ground Turmeric
- 4 - Cardamom Pods
- ¾ Cup (180ml) - Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- 12g (0.4oz) - Desiccated Coconut (Optional)
- 2 Cups (500ml) - Coconut Milk
- Seasoning To Taste
Garnish
- Roasted & Chopped Cashew Nuts
- 1 - Spring Onion (Scallion), Green Stem Only, Thinly Sliced
- 1 - Long Red Chilli or Birdseye Chilli, Thinly Sliced
- Coriander (Cilantro)
Rice
- 1 Cup (200g) - Basmati Rice, Washed
- 2 Cups (500ml) - Cold Water
- 2 - Kaffir Lime Leaves (Optional)
- Sea Salt Flakes To Taste
Instructions
Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry
- In a large bowl, add the chicken thigh, sliced onion, minced garlic & ginger & 1 tsp (10ml) of coconut oil, mix to combine. Cover & marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
- Heat 2 Tbsp (50g) of coconut oil in a large high rimmed pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add in the chicken thigh, leaving the remaining ingredients in the marinating bowl & sear for 3 minutes on both sides until golden. Remove & place on a plate to rest for the time being. Do it in batches if need be.
- In the same pan or pot, add the remaining marinating ingredients as well as the ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cloves, smoked paprika, turmeric & cardamom pods. Saute for 3 minutes, mixing regularly.
- Add in the coconut milk, chicken stock & desiccated coconut (optional), mix to combine & bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the seared chicken along with any resting juices & mix to combine. Reduce heat to low & simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 25 minutes, check the curry for seasoning, adjusting if necessary, mix to combine & remove from the heat. Serve the curry with rice (below) & garnish with cashew nuts, spring onion (scallion), coriander (cilantro) & chilli. Dig in.
Rice
- Place a large saucepan over high heat. Add in the rice, cold water, kaffir lime leaves & sea salt flakes & mix to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover & cook for 14 minutes undisturbed. After 14 minutes, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 4 more minutes then remove. Remove & discard the kaffir lime leaves, fluff the rice with a fork & serve with the curry.
Nutrition Guide
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry Storage Instructions
To store, place in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up t 5 months, both held in an airtight container. The rice can also be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days & in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. If the curry and rice are mixed before storing, they will last in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry Reheating Instructions
To reheat, gently heat the curry in a pan or pot over medium heat until the chicken is hot in the centre, stirring frequently. Alternatively, it can be reheated in the microwave in bursts, mixing between each one. Whichever way you reheat it, adding a splash of coconut milk is recommended to refresh it. The rice can be reheated in a microwave.
Watch How To Make The Recipe
Did You Like This Recipe?
Please take a second to leave a comment and rating below, and ill get back to you as soon as possible.
I’ve made this twice now, beautiful stuff. An interesting variant of a familiar dish, especially if you’ve grown up with North Indian curries.
Happy to hear you’ve been enjoying it. Thank you!
I didn’t think such a simple, quick recipe could be so tasty! What a perfect blend of flavours, that sauce is to die for. Thanks Jack!
Hey, Tyson! The flavours really work well with one another in this one and as you said, it’s really simple but extremely tasty. Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
I made this for some friends a few days ago and they loved it! It was so good, the chicken was so juicy, the curry was nice and creamy. Will make it again.
Happy to hear! Glad you all enjoyed it. 🙏
How does your curry turn from yellow to brown? Mine just stays yellow the whole time and looks nothing like your photo
It’s from flavour development. It also depends on the materials of your cooking equipment and how well it distributes heat. These factors can determine the result of a recipe compared to how its shown.
I’ve made this recipe several times now – usually when I make a curry it’s a 24 hour job (including overnight marination). This is a delicious weeknight curry that comes together with minimal effort, and yields a brilliant gravy that has a great depth of flavour. Love it! Thanks for the recipe 🙌 a really fantastic channel, glad to see it’s finally blowing up! It’s helped me improve my knife skills and transform my culinary skills. So far I’ve made the honey glazed carrots 🥕, salmon with crunchy Asian slaw, duck fat spuds, this curry and several other of your dishes. You & Bruno Albouze have the best YouTube channels for dinners and desserts. Very keen to see what’s in store for the new year!
Have just seen this recipe on YouTube.
Jack, it sounds sooo yummy!
Hope to try it very soon.
Margaret NZ
Thank you, Margaret. This recipe is delicious.
Should we use green or black cardamom in this recipe?
Green for this recipe.
Chef this dish was just outstanding- the absolute best I’ve ever had!! Thank you for sharing with us.
What is the name of the company of the gray/taupe pottery bowl you used to transfer the chicken thighs to? I have been searching for a year! Thank you.
Hey LJ, I appreciate hearing that. Thank you. The bowl is from Ecology. It’s the Ottawa stoneware range. I hope you can find it.
Always great to make this.
Lots of flavour, creamy and delicious.
Fantastic recipe mate.
Hi, Jeffrey. Great to hear that. Glad you’ve been enjoying it.
Hi, I cook a lot of Indian and Pakistani food. I love your recipe, I did however add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a tablespoon of curry paste just to give it that extra kick, but I love the easy way of preparing it. Thank you.
Thank you very much! Glad you loved the recipe. If you loved it, I kindly ask to give the recipe 5 stars as it helps the algorithm suggest my recipes. Thank you