Spicy Chicken Curry

This is a recipe for chicken curry from Sri Lanka. If you prepare your curry according to this, I am sure all of your neighbors would know that you are cooking something special. The reason is that you cannot avoid the good aroma spreading.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 6 cardamom pods bruised
• 1 cm piece cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 3 teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons rosted curry powder
• 2 kg chicken (thighs and drumsticks)
• 2 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 onions sliced fine
• 2 cm piece lemon grass (optional)
• 1 cm piece Pandan leaf (optional)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Method:

•  Heat the oil in a pan.
•  Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, garlic and ginger and stir well.   Add the chilli powder and curry powder.   (This should be done on a low heat otherwise the chilli powder can burn).
•  Add the chicken pieces and salt.   Mix well so that the chicken pieces are well coated with the other ingredients.   Turn the heat down and with a lid on cook the chicken for about 30 minutes.
• Open the lid and add the sliced onions, lemon grass, pandan leaves, and curry leaves and the soy sauce.  Stir and cook for about 15 minutes or until the meat comes off the bone.
• Add the coconut milk and simmer until the gravy is thick.
• Dish out and serve with rice or breads.