Sri Lankan Chicken Curry, Sydney Style
A deeply fragrant Sri Lankan red chicken curry simmered with dark roasted spices, fresh curry leaves, and rich coconut milk.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-based saucepan or deep frypan
- •Cutting board
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Measuring spoons
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 31 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced chicken into a bowl with roasted curry powder, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt.
- 2
Toss the chicken thoroughly until all pieces are evenly coated in the dry spices.
- 3
Heat coconut oil in a deep heavy-based frypan over medium heat.
- 4
Add sliced onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, lemongrass, and cinnamon to the pan.
- 5
Fry for 5 minutes until the onions turn soft and golden brown.
- 6
Add the marinated chicken and fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned on all sides.
- 7
Pour in 150 ml of water, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- 8
Stir in the thick coconut milk and tamarind paste until fully combined with the gravy.
- 9
Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the gravy is dark and thick.
- 10
Remove the lemongrass stalk and cinnamon quill from the sauce before serving.
Chef's tips
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is distinctly darker and deeper in flavour than Indian curry powders; do not substitute regular mild curry powder if possible. If cooking ahead, allow the curry to rest for an hour before serving, as the flavours develop significantly as it cools.
Ingredient substitutions
- Sri Lankan roasted curry powder → standard curry powder dry-toasted in a dry pan until deep brown and nutty
- coconut oil → vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- tamarind paste → 1 tbsp fresh lime juice stirred in at the end of cooking
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using unroasted Indian curry powder, which lacks the distinctive smoky depth of Sri Lankan thunapaha.
- •Boiling the coconut milk too rapidly, which can cause the rich gravy to split.
- •Discarding fresh curry leaves; frying them in hot oil at the start releases essential aromatics.
Serving suggestions
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