Chef Jack Ovens Slow Cooker Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Source video by Chef Jack Ovens on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

Six chicken thighs (750 g) are marinated in coconut or olive oil with thinly sliced onion, microplaned garlic and ginger, salt and pepper for at least half an hour. The thighs sear off three minutes a side to lock in flavour, then the reserved onion-garlic-ginger mix gets a fast sauté in the same pan. Whole spices and ground spices go in, cumin, coriander, cloves, smoked paprika, turmeric, four cardamom pods, followed by chicken stock to deglaze, then 500 ml coconut milk. From there the original 25-minute hob simmer is replaced with a long low cook in the slow cooker. Served over basmati rice cooked with kaffir lime leaves and garnished with cashews, spring onion green, chilli and coriander.

Ingredients

• 1 onionbrown (yellow) onion, thinly sliced
• 4 clovesgarlic cloves, minced (grated on a microplane)
• 25 gfresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 50 gcoconut oil (or olive oil), for the marinade
• 10 gcoconut oil (or olive oil), for the sear pan
• 750 gchicken thigh, skinless, boneless (about 6 thighs)
• 5 gsea salt flakes
• freshly cracked black pepper, 10 cracks

• 7 gground cumin
• 3 gground coriander
• 1.5 gground cloves
• 6 gsmoked paprika
• 5 gground turmeric
• 4 podscardamom pods, whole

• 180 mlchicken or vegetable stock
• 500 mlcoconut milk
• 12 gdesiccated coconut (add late)

• 195 gbasmati rice, washed (add late)
• 500 mlcold water (add late)
• 2 leaveskaffir lime leaves (add late)

• roasted and chopped cashew nuts (add late)
• 1 stemspring onion (green stem only), thinly sliced on the angle (add late)
• 1 chillilong red chilli or bird's eye chilli, thinly sliced (add late)
• fresh coriander, picked (add late)

Method

1. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the 50 g coconut oil (or 40 ml olive oil), the sliced onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and marinate at least 30 minutes in the fridge (or overnight, let it sit out 30 minutes before cooking).

   ~35 min

2. Heat a large pan over high heat with the 10 g of coconut or olive oil. Scrape the onion off the chicken back into the marinade bowl. Sear the thighs flat side down for 3 minutes, flip, and sear another 3 minutes for a golden crust all over. Remove to a plate.

   ~8 min

3. In the same hot pan, add the reserved marinated onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring regularly.

   ~1 min

4. Add the cumin, coriander, cloves, smoked paprika, turmeric and cardamom pods. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

   ~1 min

5. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any fond, and simmer for 1 minute.

   ~1 min

6. Add the coconut milk, season with salt, and bring back to a gentle simmer.

   ~2 min

7. Tip the pan contents into the slow cooker. Nestle the seared chicken in along with any resting juices. Cover.

   ~2 min

8. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours. If using, stir in the 12 g of desiccated coconut for the last hour.

   ~300 min

9. About 20 minutes before serving, cook the basmati: tip the washed rice into a saucepan with 500 ml cold water, the kaffir lime leaves and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, drop to low, lid on, steam 16 minutes untouched. Off the heat, lid off, discard the lime leaves, fluff with a fork.

   ~18 min

10. Plate the rice, lay the chicken on top, spoon the gravy over and garnish with cashews, spring onion green, chilli and coriander.

    ~3 min

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