Name: Sri Lankan chicken curry
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Sri lankan
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds; 8 curry leaves; 2 medium, thinly sliced onions; 6 cloves, finely chopped garlic; a thumb-sized piece, finely chopped ginger; 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp mild chilli powder; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2, peeled and chopped tomatoes; 6 pods, cracked cardamom; 5, cracked cloves; 1 stick cinnamon; 1 stick, bruised lemongrass; 5cm piece (optional) pandan leaf; 8 skinless chicken thighs; 400ml tin coconut milk; 2 tsp lemon juice; to serve cooked rice; 4 pods, seeds extracted and shells discarded cardamom; 1 tsp basmati rice; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 4 cloves

2 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
8 curry leaves
2 medium, thinly sliced onions
6 cloves, finely chopped garlic
a thumb-sized piece, finely chopped ginger
1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp mild chilli powder
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2, peeled and chopped tomatoes
6 pods, cracked cardamom
5, cracked cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 stick, bruised lemongrass
5cm piece (optional) pandan leaf
8 skinless chicken thighs
400ml tin coconut milk
2 tsp lemon juice
to serve cooked rice

ROASTED CURRY POWDER

4 pods, seeds extracted and shells discarded cardamom
1 tsp basmati rice
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 cloves

Method

step 1
To make the roasted curry powder, put all of the ingredients into a large, deep frying pan and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned and smelling toasty. Cool, then grind using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. This will make more than you’ll need but will keep in an airtight jar for a month.
step 2
Heat the vegetable oil and fry the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until the leaves start to brown. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and fry gently for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the ground turmeric, chilli powder, 2 tsp of the roasted curry powder and the vinegar, and stir well.
step 3
Add the tomatoes, whole spices, lemongrass and pandan leaf, if using, then add the chicken and season. Stir to coat the chicken pieces in the spices, cover and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the coconut milk, cover and cook on low for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the lemon juice and serve with rice.