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Chicken curry

This chicken curry recipe comes from the Sri Lankan culinary expert O Tama Carey and was cooked by Jamie Durie on The Cook Up with Adam Liaw. This fragrant, baked curry is packed with flavour from a traditional Sri Lankan red curry powder and utilises a special technique of thickening the curry sauce with a pounded rice and coconut spice mixture.

Chicken curry

Credit: Jiwon Kim

  • serves

    6-8

  • prep

    50 minutes

  • cook

    1:35 hour

  • difficulty

    Mid

serves

6-8

people

preparation

50

minutes

cooking

1:35

hour

difficulty

Mid

level

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Ingredients

  • 1 kg chicken thigh cutlets (bone-in, skin-on)
  • 15 g long red chilli, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 100 g finely chopped red onion
  • 15 g finely chopped garlic
  • 15 g finely chopped ginger
  • 15 g finely chopped lemongrass, white part only
  • 5 g curry leaves
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 5 cm, lightly bruised
  • 1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot
  • 200 ml coconut cream
  • 600 g tinned peeled tomatoes
  • salt and black pepper
For the pounded rice mixture 
  • 12 g rice
  • 8 g grated coconut
  • 2 green bird’s eye chillies
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 5 whole cloves
Spice blend
  • 24 g red curry powder (recipe below)
  • 8 g fenugreek seeds
  • 7 g mustard seeds
  • 4 g chilli flakes
  • 4 g chilli powder
  • 4 g sweet paprika
  • 3 g salt flakes
Curry paste
Makes approximately 150g
  • 5 g curry leaves
  • 24 g sweet paprika
  • 20 g chilli powder
  • 20 g coriander seeds
  • 15 g white peppercorns
  • 13 g chilli flakes
  • 12 g cumin seeds
  • 10 g cardamom seeds
  • 8 g fennel seeds
  • 8 g cinnamon quill, roughly crushed
  • 7 g turmeric powder
  • 5 g fenugreek seeds
  • 3 g cloves
  • 3 g star anise
Marinating time: 1 hour + 1 hour (or overnight)

Instructions

  1. To make the red curry powder, place the curry leaves in a frying pan over a medium–high heat and cook gently for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat a little and cook for another 1–2 minutes until they are dry and toasted, but not browned. Allow the leaves to cool completely, then combine them with the remaining spices and grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
  2. Use a heavy cleaver to cut each chicken thigh across the bone into 2 or 3 pieces (depending on size). Transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl and set aside.
  3. To make the pounded rice, heat the rice in a small frying pan over low heat and gently toast for 2-3 minutes, or until it just begins to change colour. Transfer the toasted rice to a mortar and pestle and allow to cool. Return the pan to the heat with the grated coconut and toast, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches an even, dark brown colour. Transfer the coconut to the mortar with the rice. Add the chillies, cardamom and cloves to the mortar, then pound to a fine consistency. Add a splash of water to form a thick paste, then transfer the paste to the bowl with the chicken pieces. Mix well to combine, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the spice blend ingredients, then add to the bowl with the chicken and massage to combine. Refrigerate for a further hour (if preparing in advance), or if about to cook, marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
  5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C. Transfer the marinated chicken to a large baking dish with the chilli, onion, garlic, ginger, sliced lemongrass, curry leaves, bruised lemongrass stalk, pandan, coconut cream and tinned tomatoes with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Spread out the marinated chicken curry to fit in a single layer, then cover with a layer of baking paper and foil. Bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, stirring every half hour, until the chicken is cooked through. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes, then serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Thumbnail of Edible Garden

Edible Garden

episode The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 
cooking • 
25m
G
episode The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 
cooking • 
25m
G

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Cooking and conversation are a bridge to understanding people and their culture. On The Cook Up with Adam Liaw his guests - world renowned chefs, entertainers, sports and social media stars - prepare food, eat, laugh and give us a glimpse into their lives.
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Published 15 April 2024 1:23pm
By O Tama Carey, Jamie Durie
Source: SBS



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