Method
- Marinate the chicken with 2 tbsp roasted curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, salt and 1 tbsp lime juice. Rest 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds; add curry leaves, pandan, cinnamon and cardamom. Cook 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add sliced onion; cook 6 minutes until pale gold. Add garlic and ginger; fry 90 seconds.
- Add the marinated chicken with all its marinade. Sear 6 minutes — the spices coat the chicken and the surfaces colour.
- Add wedged tomatoes and the remaining 1 tbsp curry powder. Stir 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and 200ml water. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 30 minutes.
- Uncover; reduce another 8 minutes — the sauce should thicken and the oil start to surface. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp lime juice. Rest covered 10 minutes. Serve with rice and at least three other Sri Lankan sides (dhal, mallum, pol sambol).
Common questions
Can Sri Lankan Chicken Curry be made ahead?
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 50 minutes.
Is Sri Lankan Chicken Curry spicy?
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Sri Lankan Chicken Curry vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Sri Lankan Chicken Curry to make at home?
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 70 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Sri Lankan Chicken Curry be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Sri Lankan chicken curry is the country's most-cooked curry — every household has a slightly different ratio of roasted curry powder to chili. 'Thuna paha' (the roasted curry blend) is the central ingredient: coriander, cumin, fennel and other spices roasted until deeply dark, ground, and used in curries that need a darker, more complex flavour than fresh-spice curries. Sri Lankan curries are typically eaten as part of a 'rice and curry' platter — never alone — with multiple curries, sambols and stir-fries on a single plate.
