SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRY BY SARAH POUND

Sarah Pound has just released her latest cookbook Family Food. Known for her nourishing, vibrant approach to food, Sarah invites readers into her kitchen with recipes that are as comforting as they are exciting.

First up: Sri Lankan Chicken Curry – a deeply spiced, aromatic dish that delivers warmth and complexity without being complicated. With fragrant curry leaves, toasted spices, and tender chicken simmered in coconut milk, this easy-to-follow recipe captures the soul of Sri Lankan cooking. Whether you’re cooking for family or friends, this dish is bound to become a new favourite.

“When it comes to making flavoursome curries from scratch, there’s often a dilemma that stops me – the curry has thousands of ingredients and takes hours to cook. I simply don’t have time for that. This is my streamlined and speedy curry. And let me tell you, it is mighty fine.” – Sarah Pound

FREEZER FRIENDLY

PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 35 minutes

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons light-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
salt flakes
3 teaspoons black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, sliced into rounds
400 ml can coconut milk
30 g (1/2 cup) shredded coconut, plus extra for sprinkling
400 g can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tamarind puree (optional)
600 g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3–4 cm pieces
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
90 g (2 cups) baby spinach leaves
1 handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
steamed basmati rice, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until the onion is softened and fragrant. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the onion is catching on the bottom of the pan. Add the mustard seeds, curry powder, turmeric, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

Start building the flavours. Add the zucchini and a few tablespoons of coconut milk to the pan and stir to coat in the spice mixture. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the remaining coconut milk, the shredded coconut, tomatoes and tamarind puree, if using.

Now stir the chicken into the curry. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Mix in the lime juice and sugar, then stir through the spinach and cook until starting to wilt. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the coriander and extra shredded coconut over the top and serve the curry with the rice.

VEGGIE BOOSTER

Add any of the following with the zucchini:

– 150 g (1 cup) cubed sweet potato
– 135 g (1 cup) cubed eggplant
– 155 g (1 cup) cubed pumpkin

• Add 60 g (1 cup) broccoli florets 10 minutes before turning off the heat.

• Swap out the spinach for kale, silverbeet, bok choy or choy sum.

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