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Dinner at Amma's
Recipe by Minoli De Silva
Try this traditional, aromatic chicken curry with eggplant brinjal and a tomato and onion salsa.
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Dry Roasted Curry Powder
Eggplant Brinjal
Chicken Curry
Rice
Kiwi Fruit Curry
Coconut Sambal
Tomato and Onion Salsa
Garnish
Select All
Steps
- Line a tray with paper towel and set aside.
- For the Dry Roasted Curry Powder, place the coriander in a non-stick pan over low heat and toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and toast a further 3 -4 minutes until the curry leaves are crispy and spices are a darker brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Finely grind the spices using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
- For the Eggplant Brinjal, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or small saucepan. Toss the eggplant strips flour and season with salt. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oil and set aside on paper towel.
- To finish the eggplant, transfer 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil to a medium frypan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the curry leaves and fry until crispy. Add the onion and fry until softened slightly. Add the garlic, ginger, mustard powder, turmeric, Curry Powder, chilli powder, chilli and Maldive fish chips. Cook until fragrant, about 1 -2 minutes.
- Add the dates and vinegar and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat. When ready to serve, add coconut milk and once simmering, add the fried eggplant. Once liquid has been absorbed, about 1 minute, remove from heat. Season with salt and set aside.
- For the Chicken Curry, place the garlic, ginger, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cardamom and clove in a mortar and pestle and pound to a rough paste. Combine paste, chicken, chilli powder, paprika, Curry Powder, turmeric and salt in a bowl, ensuring chicken is coated evenly. Set aside to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Heat the ghee in a medium frypan. When hot, add onion and sauté until translucent. Add the marinated chicken mixture and sauté to seal the chicken, about 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add the pandan leaves, curry leaves, lemongrass, chilli and cinnamon and fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Add tamarind pulp, vinegar, sugar and water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced, about 15 minutes. Season to taste and remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
- For the Rice, place the rice in a small sieve and wash under cold running water until the water runs clear.
- Place into a saucepan and add 1 ½ cups water along with pandan and cardamom pods. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Do not remove the lid for 20 minutes. Add curry leaves and replace lid and set aside until ready to serve.
- For the Kiwi Fruit Curry, heat the oil in a small frypan over medium heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. Once seeds start to pop, add onion, fenugreek, curry leaves, pandan leaf, turmeric, curry powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Fry for few minutes until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the tomato and simmer until tomatoes have reduced by half. Add the coconut milk, vinegar and jaggery. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer until the mixture darkens and develops in flavour, about 7-8 minutes. Add the kiwi fruit and cook until softened slightly and heated through. Remove from the heat to avoiding overcooking the kiwi fruit. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, covered, to keep warm.
- For the Coconut Sambal, place half of the coconut and the shallots, chilli, paprika and fish chips into a large mortar and pestle and pound until the mixture comes together. Add the remaining coconut, lime juice and pound until mixture is evenly coloured. Season with salt, to taste and transfer to a serving bowl.
- For the Tomato and Onion Salsa, combine ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
- To serve, spoon the rice and curries into separate clay pots and sprinkle with garnishes. Serve on a tray lined with banana leaf along with the sambal and salsa.
