Kalu Kukul Mas Curry (Black Chicken Curry)
Kalu Kukul Mas Curry (Black Chicken Curry)
This is a village-style dish from Sri Lanka’s southern coast and one of the oldest cooking techniques on the island. It’s concentrated, dry and intensely flavoured, closer to a braise than a soup. The tamarind adds a sour brightness that cuts through the dark spice. The curry leaves add a very distinctive flavour but if […]
Servings
6
Prep time
Cook time
Recipe
Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 1kg chicken thighs, bone-in
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
- 1 pandan leaf, 5cm & halved lengthways (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick, 5cm (Ceylon if possible)
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (equal parts fresh ginger & garlic, grated)
- 2–3 green chillies, slit lengthways
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 cups water
- Sea salt, to taste
- Marinade
- 1 tbsp chilli powder (Kashmiri for colour & moderate heat)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1½ tbsp roasted curry powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp salt
- Dark Spice Paste (roast & grind)
- 1 tbsp raw white rice
- 3 tbsp freshly grated coconut (or desiccated coconut rehydrated in 1 tbsp warm water)
- 2 dried red chillies (Kashmiri)
- ½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
Method
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and coat every piece of chicken thoroughly. Rest for a minimum of 20 mins at room temperature or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour.
- For the dark spice paste, in a dry pan over medium-low heat toast each element separately: rice for 2–3 mins stirring until light golden; grated coconut for 1–2 mins stirring constantly until golden (watch it, coconut goes from golden to burnt in seconds); dried red chillies for 30 secs until fragrant; mustard and cumin seeds together for 1 min until aromatic and mustard pops. Cool everything completely then grind to a coarse powder.
- Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the curry leaves and let them crackle for 30 secs. Add the pandan leaf and cinnamon stick for another 30 secs. Add the onions and cook 2–3 mins until translucent and softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste, stirring for 1–2 mins until the raw smell mellows. Add the green chillies.
- Add the dark spice paste and black pepper. Stir into the onion mixture to create a thick dark aromatic paste. Cook on medium-low for a few mins, stirring occasionally.
- Add the marinated chicken and stir to coat every piece. Increase heat to medium and sear for 5–7 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 mins to 1 hr, stirring occasionally. If after an hour there is still too much liquid, remove the lid and cook on medium until the sauce reduces to a thick coating that clings to the chicken.
- Taste and adjust the salt. Add a dash more tamarind if it needs more sour brightness. The finished curry should be very dark brown to near-black with a thick concentrated sauce.
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