If you have madras curry powder, then Sri Lankan Tamarind Chicken Curry is really easy to make. Madras curry powder is an essential ingredient in this dish and the good news is that it is generally available. You can get the madras curry powder either at an Indian grocer or perhaps at a Bulk Barn. I made my own and could therefore control the heat. Pre-made madras curry powder does have hot chili and is meant to be spicy, but my version has been tamed.
|
|
|
Tips
|
| Degree of Difficulty |
- 1/2 tspn turmeric powder
- 1 tspn paprika
- 2 tspn Madras Curry Powder
- 1 tspn freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 tbspn tamarind sauce
- 1 tspn kosher salt to taste
- 2 lbs chicken 2 thighs and 2 legs or 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
- 3 tbspn oil for sautéing
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 1 tspn grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
- 1 1" piece cinnamon
- 3-4 pods green cardamom
- 1 tspn chili powder
- 2 tspn Madras Curry Powder
- 1 can chopped tomatoes and their juice
- 3 tbspn tomato paste
- 1/2 cup tamarind sauce
- 3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro chopped
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Combine chicken pieces with marinade and work the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Lightly crush whole spices in a mortar and pestle, set aside.
- Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Add chopped onions, ginger, curry leaves and sauté until the onions begin to color, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add grated garlic and stir to combine, about 1 minute. Add crushed whole spices and cinnamon and stir to combine, sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add chili powder and Madras curry powder and sauté for another minute.
- Add chicken pieces along with the marinade and stir to combine well.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste stir to combine and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the juices come out of the chicken and the chicken has cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- When the chicken is done, add 6-8 more curry leaves and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for a half hour to an hour. Reheat when ready to serve.
I altered the original recipe to suit my tastes and, in my opinion, to make it easier to cook. I did make my own Madras Curry Powder. I had all the ingredients on hand and this allowed me to control the heat. Not that there is none, I did include the generous number of whole black pepper corn as well as the chili powder, so it does have some heat. But you can control this by increasing the quantity called for in the recipe, or add your own hot chili if you like the flavor.
I also substituted the fresh tomatoes that were originally called for with chopped canned tomatoes as I find that the flavor and color you get from canned is more predictable than using fresh.
Lastly, I also added tomato paste to counter balance the sourness of the canned tomatoes. This worked well to enhance the flavor of the tamarind sauce as well as the texture and color of the dish.