Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

If you cook one thing from this site, make it this. A Sri Lankan chicken curry — kukul mas curry — is built from a short list of pantry spices, a tin of coconut milk, and a little patience. What sets it apart from other curries is roasted curry powder: the spices are dry-toasted until dark and nutty, which gives the sauce its distinctive deep, almost smoky flavour.

This is a home version, scaled for a weeknight but generous enough for a weekend. Bone-in thighs give the best flavour, but boneless work fine if that's what you have.

Ingredients

• 800g chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless (or 700g boneless thighs), cut into large pieces
• 2 tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 sprig curry leaves (about 15 leaves)
• 1 piece pandan leaf (rampe), optional
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tbsp tomato paste)
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, loosened in 3 tbsp warm water
• 400ml coconut milk (one tin)
• 1.5 tsp salt, to taste

Method

1. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the roasted curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric and black pepper. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes while you prep everything else — longer in the fridge is even better.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion, curry leaves, pandan, cinnamon and cardamom. Fry gently for 6–8 minutes until the onion is soft and golden.
3. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the spiced chicken. Sear, turning the pieces, for about 5 minutes until the spices smell toasted and the chicken has taken on some colour.
5. Add the tomatoes and tamarind water. Stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan, and let it cook down for 3–4 minutes.
6. Pour in about two-thirds of the coconut milk plus a splash of water — just enough to almost cover the chicken. Add the salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
7. Uncover, stir in the remaining thick coconut milk, and simmer for a final 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Do not let it boil hard once the thick milk is in, or it can split.
8. Taste and adjust salt and tamarind. Rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving — the flavour deepens noticeably.

Serve it with

Steamed rice is the classic, but this curry is equally happy with perfect basmati rice, roti, or bread to mop up the sauce. A spoonful of pol sambol on the side turns it into a proper plate of rice and curry.