An easy-cook healthy Sri Lankan curry
I love this curry and first had it at Hoppers, the Sri Lankan restaurant chain. Their version did not include chickpeas. I’ve added these as they complement the Chicken and sauce well, but feel free to go with the chicken-only version. I think the chicken & chickpea curry makes a healthy option dinner and when I make it I always make a larger batch and freeze a portion for a very quick “bonus” dinner
If you prefer a vegetarian option, you could substitute the Chicken for butternut squash, which makes a lovely alternative. The sauce would also go well with seafood.
A quick word on the chickpeas: I prefer the chickpeas in a jar, but feel free to use the dried or in a tin.
I usually serve it with rice, but in Sri Lanka, they traditionally serve it with roti bread.
Give it a go, and let me know your thoughts. This lighter curry is popular in Sri Lanka and South India.
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Chicken and Chickpea curry
Print RecipeIngredients
- 4-6 Chicken thighs
- 400 G Chickpeas
- Marinade for chicken 1/2 tsp of ginger paste
- Marinade for chicken 1tsp of garlic paste
- Marinade for chicken 1/2 tsp of tumeric
- Marinade for chicken 1 tsp of curry power
- Marinade for chicken pinch of salt
- 2 tsp of vegetable oil
- cinnamon stick
- 4 Green cardomom pods (blended or seeds only)
- 4 cloves
- 1 med onion sliced
- 1 tbsp of Ginger (minced or finly chopped)
- 1tbsp of garlic (minced or finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp of chilli spice powder
- 1 lemon grass stick
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 large ripe tomato or 3 tbsp of canned chopped tomatoes
- 225ml chicken stock or water
- 100ml Coconut milk
- 2 green chillies chopped (optional), remove seeds to reduce heat
Instructions
Cut chicken thighs in a bowl, add marinade ingredients, and mix. Leave for an hour or longer.
Heat oil in the pan to medium/high heat. Add the cardamon pod, cinnamon stick, and cloves, cook for a minute, then add the onion and cook gently (be careful not to burn). Saute until soft, then add garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. At this stage, add the ground spices, curry leaves, and lemon grass; if the spices stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of stock or water.
Reduce heat, add tomatoes, and simmer until they thicken with the other ingredients.
At this stage, add the marinated chicken and chickpeas (a few tbsp of the chickpea juice), cook for 4 minutes, then add the chicken stock, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly.
At this stage, add the coconut milk and simmer for around 8 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked); then add the green chillies and season with salt.
