Chicken curry ( kukulhu riha)

Yesterday I invited a couple of friends over for lunch. Made a huge pot of chicken curry and dhal. This chicken curry is very popular during Eid. It's cooked for the Eid day lunch. When mixed in with rice and dhal curry it becomes less spicy. You can even serve it with flatbread instead of rice. 

 Serves 2-3 people 

Preparation time : 15 minutes + 1 hr marinating Cooking time ; 45 minutes 

 500g chicken or joints such as legs, thighs and wings 

2 onions sliced 

3 cloves garlic 

 1” ginger 

 Juice of 1 lime 

½ tsp ground cinnamon and cardamom or 1" stick cinamon and 5-6 cardamon pods ends snipped and left whole

 1 sprig curry leaves

 1 pandan leaf 150g potatoes cubed 

2tsp roasted curry powder 

1tsp chilli powder 

500ml water 

60ml coconut milk

 Salt 

Oil

 1. Clean chicken, joint it, and remove the skin. You can add the liver and gizzards along with it as it makes the curry more rich and tasty. 

 2. Place half the onion in a food processor or blender. Add garlic, ginger and lime juice. Process to a smooth paste. Rub this onto the chicken pieces, with a little salt. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour.

 3. Heat oil in a pan, and add the remaining onion slices, along with pandan and curry leaves. Stir fry till the onion are golden.

 4. Switch off the heat and add curry powder, cinnamon cardamom powders, chilli powder and turmeric. If you want a milder curry, omit the chilli powder. 

 5. Place it back on the pan, and add a little water to prevent it from burning. Stir, and add the chicken pieces along with the marinade, and the potatoes. Stir and add the remaining water. Boil, then simmer, till the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through. 

 6. To finish off add coconut milk, taste and add salt to taste.