Sri Lankan Fried Chicken
This recipe came from my recent trip to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is known for it's heavy use of spices creating some of the most flavourful dishes on the planet! It's cuisine is also incredibly healthy, utilizing many vegetables and legumes.
On the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital city I tried this incredible fried chicken. It is bathed in Sri Lankan spices before fried to perfection. Using cornstarch and rice flower allows the crust to puff well and the spices to really shine!
The chicken is finished off with an addictive, spicy coconut crunch. Typically it is eaten with a chapati or coconut rice.
Sri Lankan Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
8 boneless chicken thighs
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp oil
15 tsp coconut vinegar
5cm (2in) piece pandan leaf, chopped
20 Curry Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Lucknow Fennel Seeds
2 tbsp Kashmiri Mirch
4 tsp ground Alleppey Turmeric
1 tap Jaffna Curry Powder
1 tsp ground Gujarat Coriander
1 tap Kampot Black Peppercorns, crushed
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp rice flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Coconut Crisp
2 tbsp ghee or oil
¼ tsp Lucknow Fennel Seeds
I tsp Rajasthan Cumin Seeds
30g red onion (approx. ½ small onion), roughly chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp salt
60g Fresh or Frozen (shredded) coconut
15 Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Guntur Sanaam Chili
1 1/2 tsp Alleppey Turmeric
Cooking Directions
Combine the chicken, garlic, ginger oil and vinegar in a bowl. Add the chopped pandan and curry leaves with the spices then add to the chicken to mix well. Finally, toss through the cornflour (cornstarch) and rice flour. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the coconut crumb garnish.
Place a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee. Add the fennel and cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook until light brown and slightly softened, about 3 minutes, be careful not to burn, but you do want it to be toasty. Stir in the coconut and curry leaves and continue to cook. stirring often until the coconut turns brown and begins to smell nutty, about 2-3 minutes. Add the Guntur Sanaam chilli powder and Turmeric then remove from the heat and season to taste with more salt if necessary.
When ready to cook, preheat a deep-fryer to 170°C (340°F), Alternatively, fill a heavy-based pan two-thirds full of vegetable oil and set over a high heat. Deep-fry the chicken thighs in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and crisp, Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain away excess oil. When all the chicken is cooked, pile into a serving dish and top with the coconut crumb garnish. Serve immediately.
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