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–+ servings

Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry

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4.56000 from 9 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Marinating (Optional): 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Calories: 1054kcal
Servings: 4 People

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

Method

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.
    Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry Marinate
  • 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.
    Sear Chicken
  • 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.
    Saute Onions
  • 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.
    Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry Sauce
  • 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.
    Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry Serve

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.
    Steamed Rice
Calories 1054kcalCarbohydrates 57gProtein 40gFat 77gSaturated Fat 47gPolyunsaturated Fat 8gMonounsaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 185mgSodium 245mgPotassium 1044mgFiber 4gSugar 4gVitamin A 1047IUVitamin C 23mgCalcium 113mgIron 9mg