Rich, flavor-packed, and super delicious- this classic Sri Lankan chicken curry recipe might just become your next favorite!
If there’s one recipe that you can almost always never go wrong with when you’re on the hunt for a quick lunch or dinner or a main that you want to serve to some guests you’ve invited, it is a good old chicken curry. This classic Sri Lankan chicken curry, in specific, has just the right balance of flavors that will make it a total crowd pleaser and a hit with everyone in the family.
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Best of all, you can actually prep for the curry in advance, and then put it together in a matter of minutes. Ready to give the flavor-rich recipe a shot? Here’s all you need to know about it before you do.
Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make this flavorful curry.
For the Sri Lankan Curry Powder:
- Basmati rice: 2 tbsp
- Dry red chilies: 3-4
- Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp
- Coriander seeds: 2 tbsps
- Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
- Fennel seeds: 2 tsp
- Cloves: 5-6
- Black pepper (Whole): 3 tbsps
For the Chicken curry
- Oil: 2 tbsps
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig
- Coconut (grated): 2 tbsps
- Onions (chopped): 1 cup
- Dry red chilies: 3-4
- Pandan leaves: A bunch
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Chicken: 200 gms
- Sri Lankan Curry Powder: 4 tbsps
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Salt: As per taste
- Water: 1 cup
- Coconut milk: ½ cup
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Once you have all your ingredients and kitchen tools ready, here’s what you need to do to make the Sri Lankan chicken curry from scratch.
For the Sri Lankan Curry Powder, start by first dry roasting the basmati rice for about 30 seconds on medium flame.
Next, add all the remaining dry spices to the same pan and dry roast until done.
Keep the mixture aside to cool down and then grind the same into a powder. Store it in an airtight container for future use.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies and saute.
Next, add the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Saute.
Add the chicken next and mix well.
Add the Sri Lankan Curry Powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.
Add water and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
Add the coconut milk. Let the curry simmer for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut milk is the star ingredient in this curry- it is what lends the curry that delicious creaminess and balances out the other flavors wonderfully. If you don’t have coconut milk or are just looking for an alternative, you can whisk up some fresh yogurt and add it into the curry instead.
If you’re not too sure about using yogurt, you can also make do with some fresh cream instead. 
There’s a lot more than just chicken that you can add to this versatile curry. You can throw in the veggies of your choice- potatoes and sweet potatoes are some classics that you just can’t go wrong with, but if you really want to go the extra mile, you can add some diced carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms or even some green beans. This will also enhance the nutritive value of the curry, and make it a healthier meal. 
You can. Pandan leaves have a nice subtle flavor that works wonderfully in enhancing the taste of the curry, and practically any other recipe that you use it for. It has also been found to have many beneficial medicinal properties, which is a plus. However, if you don’t have them, you can still whip up a curry that’s incredibly delicious and flavorful. 
While you can always make do with the frozen variety, this Sri Lankan chicken curry tastes best when you use fresh, bone-in chicken- the curry will naturally have a lot more flavor that way. Choose tender cuts of the chicken- thighs are the best since they have the softest meat.
Use boneless chunks of chicken if you want to whip up this curry on a time crunch. You could use chicken breasts too, but remember to add the chunks after the curry sauce is done, to keep them from getting overcooked and dry. 
One of the best things about this curry is the fact that it is freezer-friendly. You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze them if you want them to last longer than that. Just remember to allow the curry to thaw completely before you reheat it on low heat, to keep the texture of the chicken and the curry intact.
Tips to Make the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Ready to give this versatile and flavor-packed curry recipe a shot? You might want to keep these little tips and tricks in mind to nail it.
- Sri Lankan curries have a reputation for being spicy, but if you don’t have a high tolerance to the spice, you can reduce the number of red chilies you’re adding in while making the curry.
- You can also balance out the spiciness of the curry by adding a generous squeeze of lemon juice into the curry, right before you take it off heat.
- To lend an extra creamy flavor and richness to the curry, you can add some cashewnut or almond paste into it, and allow it to simmer for a few extra minutes.
- Want to lend the curry some extra tangy flavor? You can add fresh tamarind paste into it.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This classic Sri Lankan chicken curry tastes best when served with some steamed rice or roti or any flatbread. To complete the meal, you can whip up a nice salad (like a cucumber salad) or some raita that you can serve as a side, and have a nice refreshing drink like the pomegranate cooler to finish it all up.
Classic Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Sri Lankan Curry Powder:
- 2 tsp Basmati rice
- 3-4 pcs Dry red chilies
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 tsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 5-6 pcs Cloves
- 3 tsp Black pepper (Whole)
Ingredients for the Chicken curry
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- A bunch Pandan leaves
- 2 tsp Coconut (grated)
- 1 cup Onions (chopped)
- 3-4 pcs Dry red chilies
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- 200 gms Chicken
- 4 tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- As per taste Salt
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Coconut milk
Instructions
- For the Sri Lankan Curry Powder, start by first dry roasting the basmati rice for about 30 seconds on medium flame.2 tsp Basmati rice
- Next, add all the remaining dry spices to the same pan and dry roast until done.3-4 pcs Dry red chilies, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 2 tsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2 tsp Fennel seeds, 5-6 pcs Cloves, 3 tsp Black pepper
- Keep the mixture aside to cool down and then grind the same into a powder. Store it in an airtight container for future use.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies and saute.2 tsp Oil, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 1 sprig Curry leaves, A bunch Pandan leaves, 2 tsp Coconut, 3-4 pcs Dry red chilies
- Next, add the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Saute.1 cup Onions, 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- Add the chicken next and mix well.200 gms Chicken
- Add the Sri Lankan Curry Powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.4 tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder, ½ tsp Turmeric powder, As per taste Salt
- Add water and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.1 cup Water
- Add the coconut milk. Let the curry simmer for 2 minutes.½ cup Coconut milk
- Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice.
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