Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Get a taste of Sri Lanka

The subtly flavoured Ceylon kozhi curry goes well with the cool carrot kusambu

PHOTO: T. SINGARAVELOU

CLASSIC COMBINATION Ceylon Kozhi Curry

This recipe of a chicken-based dish has a strong Sri Lankan influence. Some Pondicherrians, who had worked in Sri Lanka during the British Raj, may have brought with them the flavours of the island. This curry has a very subtle on the tongue and tastes better if cooked the previous day and refrigerated. It is served with carrot kusumbu.

Ceylon Kozhi Curry

Serve: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour
Country chicken - 1kg, cut in small pieces
Onions - 4, cut fine
Green chilies - 2 *
Ginger - 1 inch *
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves *
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Lemon - juice - 1 and a half tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Gingely oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 and a half tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Green cardamom - 1
Clove - 1
Star anis (annachi poo) - quarter
Bay leaf - half leaf
Coconut - half, scraped
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Salt

* Ground together

Carrot Kusumbu

Grate coconut, put it in a mixer and run it with 100 ml of water. Strain the mush for the first milk. Keep aside. Repeat the operation to extract the second and third milk, with 100 ml of water each time.

In a big bowl, marinate chicken with ginger-garlic-green chilly paste, lemon juice, turmeric, and salt. Mix well and refrigerate for half an hour.

In a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add cinnamon, green cardamom, clove, star anis and bay leaf. Fry for 2 minutes, add onions, fry, add chilly powder and coriander powder, fry, add chicken and fry. Add second and third coconut milk. Cover lid and cook in medium fire, till chicken is ready. Add first coconut milk.

In a frying pan, heat remaining oil, add mustard seeds let them splutter, add curry leaves. Add tempering to curry and close pan immediately. Serve hot with hot white rice and carrot kusumbu.

Carrot Kusumbu

Serve: 6
Time: 15 minutes

This kusumbu or salad is tasty and easy to make. It's cooling and nutritious. It goes well with Ceylon kozhi curry. The combination of coconut, coriander leaves, moong dal and lime juice is good for health.

Carrot - 250 gm, scrapped fine
Green chillies - 2, cut fine
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Coconut scraped - 1 to 2 tbsp
Lemon - juice of 1
Gingely oil - half tbsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Asaphoetida - half tsp
Moong dal (pachai paruppu) - 1 tbsp
Salt

In a big bowl mix carrots, coconut, salt, lime juice, moong dal, coriander leaves and green chillies.

In a frying pan heat oil, add mustard seeds, let the muster seeds splutter, add curry leaves and asaphoetida. Add to carrot mixture. Refrigerate and serve cold with Ceylon kozhi curry.

KETHARI SRIVANJIAM

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail