Gokani says: “This simple yet gorgeous curry is my go-to dish when introducing people to Sri Lankan food at the restaurant, in demos or cookery classes. It’s easy and approachable, yet tastes so different from any north Indian or south-east Asian curry that you might first associate it with when reading through the ingredients.

I did a video with the team over at SORTED food for their YouTube channel in 2021 where a group of home cooks were given all the ingredients for this curry and asked to cook it intuitively, without any instructions. I later cooked my version of the curry, demonstrating how I would adapt it. The results were starkly different in look, flavour and texture. Shooting that session really put into perspective how effective this curry was to introduce a novice to Sri Lankan food – its spices, techniques and unique flavours. If you’re new to Sri Lankan food or cooking curries generally, I would highly recommend starting with this recipe.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg (2lb 4oz) bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed and cut into 8–10cm (3–4in) pieces (you can use boneless thighs if you prefer, but the curry won’t be as flavourful)
1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp + 2 tsp roasted curry powder (recipe below)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
4 tbsp coconut oil
250g (9oz) red onion (approx. 1 large onion), sliced
9cm (3½in) cinnamon stick
5 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 lemongrass sticks
10cm (4in) piece pandan leaf
12–15 curry leaves
1 tbsp chilli powder
150g (5½oz) ripe tomato (approx. 1 large tomato), sliced
150ml (5fl oz) fresh chicken stock
250ml (9fl oz) coconut milk
2 green chillies, halved lengthways (optional)

For the roasted curry powder:

25g (1oz) green cardamom seeds
5g ( oz) cloves
50g (1¾oz) cinnamon sticks or broken pieces
50g (1¾oz) basmati rice
150g (5½oz) coriander seeds
75g (2½oz) cumin seeds
50g (1¾oz) fennel seeds
10g (¼oz) fenugreek seeds
15g (½oz) black peppercorns
25g (1oz) curry leaves or 10g (¼oz)
dried curry leaves
15g (½oz) pandan leaves or 5g ( oz) dried pandan leaves

Method

First, make the roasted curry powder:

Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Roast the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in the dry pan, stirring frequently for 2–3 minutes until fragrant but being careful not to burn them.

Add the rice and continue roasting for 12–14 minutes until nutty and light brown. Roast the remaining ingredients separately for 12–14 minutes, stirring constantly, until the leaves are dry and brittle.

Leave to cool completely before grinding to a fine powder in a blender or spice grinder. Pass through a strainer and grind any remaining large pieces. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

For the red chicken curry:

Combine the chicken with ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp roasted curry powder, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp each ginger and garlic paste. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion along with ½ tsp salt and sauté until translucent. Add the remaining ginger and garlic paste and continue frying until the raw smell is no longer present. Stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, lemongrass, pandan leaf and curry leaves. Add the chilli powder, remaining ½ tsp turmeric and remaining 2 tbsp roasted curry powder. Fry for a further 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomato and cook over a medium heat, stirring often until it softens and turns pulpy. Add the chicken and stir well to ensure it’s coated in the spices, about 3–4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the chicken stock, mix everything well, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and green chillies, if using, and reduce to a simmer for another 5–7 minutes. Season with the remaining salt.

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