Geerthana Uthayakumar This winter my kids have been sick a lot. One thing they actually eat when they have a cold or the flu is Sri-Lankan style chicken yellow curry. To this curry, I add a homemade powder made of a variety of spices to help my children feel a bit better a little sooner. This powder can be made ahead of time and stored in a dry airtight container (recipe follows). Please read Ingredients That Help Battle Cold and Flu Symptoms for more information on the health benefits of the ingredients used in this dish.
Sri-Lankan Yellow Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- 2 medium sized red potatoes cut into pieces
- Half of a small white onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- A sprig of curry leaves
- A quarter of a green chili (de-seeded if you prefer)
- Enough water to cover the chicken (2-3 cups)
- Half to 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 Tbsp. yellow curry chicken powder
- Half cup of milk
- Salt to taste
- Optional: Squeeze of lemon
Instructions:
1. Chop the potatoes, garlic, and onion. Slit the green chili, wash curry leaves, and set aside.
2. Clean and cut the chicken breasts into small pieces.
3. Place the chicken pieces, potatoes, green chili, and onion in the pot and fill it with enough water to cover the ingredients.
4. Cover, and cook on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
5. Once almost cooked, add garlic, curry leaves, and the spice powder.
6. Let it come to a boil and finish cooking.
7. Once the chicken and potatoes are cooked thoroughly, reduce to low-medium heat and add milk and salt to taste. Stir and let it reach a boil once more and turn off the stove.
8. Once the curry is slightly cooled, add a squeeze of lemon and stir quickly to prevent curdling.
NOTE:
- Although, turmeric has a variety of health benefits, consuming it in excess may cause gallstones. Use turmeric sparingly if using often.
- My children enjoy chicken yellow curry with steamed rice and spinach curry, or string hoppers. Adults can benefit from eating this curry as well.
- Potatoes can be left out if desired.
- Other parts of the chicken and bones can be added for better flavour. I often make this curry using a whole chicken.
Yellow Chicken Curry Spice Powder
Ingredients:
- Half cup coriander seeds
- Third cup cumin seeds
- 2 Tbsp. Fennel
- 1 Tbsp. black pepper kernels
- 1 Tsp. Fenugreek seeds
- 1 star anise
- 3 cloves
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 inch piece cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Wash and air-dry all the ingredients.
2. Dry-roast all the ingredients on low heat. (Traditionally the spices are sun-dried. My mom sun-dries all the spices in the summer months and stores them.)
3. Let the spices cool to room temperature.
4. Blend all the spices into a fine powder. Store in an air-tight container until needed.
[…] her mother or brother, so when she does get sick all she requests is a warm bowl of soup or chicken yellow curry. Akshaya is not a huge fan of chicken noodle soup, instead she prefers whole-bodied soups with a […]