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Sri Lankan

Sri Lankan chicken curry

Non-vegetarian

කුකුල් මස් කරිය · Kukul mas kariya

Bone-in chicken simmered with dark roasted curry powder, curry leaves, pandan, cinnamon and coconut milk — deeply aromatic, peppery and warming.

Sri Lankan chicken curry is a Sri Lankan main course, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, curry powder and curry leaves. It serves 5 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
5
Level
Easy
Calories
693

Ingredients

5 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chicken with the curry powder (opens in a new tab), cayenne, turmeric (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), vinegar and salt and leave for 30 minutes.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw chicken in the fridge; wash hands afterwards.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the coconut oil (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot and fry the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, green chillies, curry leaves (opens in a new tab), pandan (opens in a new tab), lemongrass (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab) until the onion is golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the chicken and tomato (opens in a new tab) and fry, turning, for 8 minutes until the chicken is coated and lightly coloured.

    • 8 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the water and half the coconut milk (opens in a new tab), cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Sri Lanka · Well documentedMore food from Sri Lanka
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Curries
Cooking method
Simmered, Marinated / cured
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, spicy (chilli heat), creamy, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Curry powder · Curry leaves · Coconut milk · Cayenne / chilli powder · Turmeric
Techniques
Simmering · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
  • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

693 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 382 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 6%
  • Fat 71%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy693 kcal182 kcal
Protein40.1 g10.5 g
Carbohydrate9.9 g2.6 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat55.5 g14.5 g
Saturated fat30.3 g7.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol150 mg39 mg
Sodium1088 mg285 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
728 mg
Calcium
78 mg
Iron
5.4 mg
Magnesium
93 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
101 µg
Vitamin C
16 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
34 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pandan leaves, lemongrass.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Dry-roast your own curry powder (coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, curry leaves, rice) until dark brown for the most authentic flavour.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard after the second coconut milk goes in — it can split; keep it at a gentle simmer.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice, parippu, pol sambol and a vegetable curry for a rice-and-curry spread.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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