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T
he primary ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine is coconut. Almost all gravies/curries are cooked in either coconut
extract or coconut milk.Whether it is a simple potato curry, vegetables, pulses or even sweets, coconut forms the
base for all Sri Lankan food. Readymade coconut milk powder or coconut milk tetra packs are easily available in
the market but there's nothing like freshly extracted coconut milk.The extraction of coconut milk may be a little time
consuming but it's worth it.
To get the milk from the coconut add a sufficient quantity of water to the grated coconut and extract the thick milk.
Milk can be extracted from the pulp a second and third time, which will be thinner than the first extract. In the recipes
here only the first extract (thick milk) is required.
~ Roshni Dagar
Bordubi T.E.
Sri Lankan Cuisine
Ingredients
⅟
2 kg chicken
3 tbsp grated coconut
3 tbsp oil
Curry leaves – a few
1
⅟
2 tsp finely chopped ginger and garlic
together
3 green chillies, slit
2 onions - chopped
1 tomato - chopped
Chilli powder, turmeric, salt
Sri Lankan curry powder (Can be
substituted with roasted cumin powder)
2 tbsp thick coconut milk
Method
Dry roast the grated coconut till golden. Do not let it burn. Cool and
grind to a paste. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, chopped ginger and garlic,
green chillies, and then the chopped onions. When the onions turn
brown add the tomato. Once the tomato is cooked add salt, chilli
powder and turmeric powder. Add Sri Lankan curry powder or roasted
cumin powder. Let it cook. When the oil starts to separate add the
coconut paste and a little water and simmer on medium heat till the
coconut is done. Add the chicken and stir well. Add two cups of water
and cover and cook on medium heat till the chicken is cooked. Lastly,
add the coconut milk and boil once. Serve with rice.
Chicken Curry
Preparation Time – 30 minutes
56 July 2016
In addition to items
influenced by Indian , English,
Dutch and Portuguese fare, Sri
Lankan cuisine includes
traditional dishes passed down
from generation to generation .
As Roshni’s mother hails from
Sri Lanka , the ‘Pearl of the
Indian Ocean’, she has grown
up savouring these delicacies,
and here she shares three
recipes with us.