Sri Lankan Rice and Curry is a traditional Sri Lankan curry recipe for the national dish of steamed or boiled rice served accompanied by several curry dishes, examples of which are linked below. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sri Lankan version of: Sri Lankan Rice and Curry.
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This is Sri Lanka's national dish, plain boiled or steamed rice served with a range of curries. I'm giving chicken curry as an example here, but I'm also providing recipes to a range of authentic Sri Lankan curries below so you can mix and mach meat-based and vegetable-based curries as you wish. Typically a mix of meat or seafood based and vegetable curries are served together. Traditionally the rice is served on a banana leaf and the various curries, sambals and pickles are arranged around the rice. The banana leaf is used as the plate and is simply discarded at the end of the meal.
Rice served with several dishes, any of the ones below is known as 'rice and curry' and counts as the national dish of Sri Lanka.
For the Rice:
400g of basmati rice or red rice
1l of water
1 tsp of salt
For the Chicken Curry
500g chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3cm piece of ginger (grated)
2 tomatoes, chopped
250ml coconut milk
1 tbsp Sri Lankan curry powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Fresh curry leaves
Method:
Cooking the Rice: Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Allow to drain in a colander.
Combine the rice, water, and salt in a pan, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and let the rice simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
Take off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to steam.
At this point, fluff the rice with a fork, re-cover and set aside until needed.
Preparing the Chicken Curry: Place a large pan over medium heat. Once hot add the oil and wait for it to heat up.
Add in the onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry for about 5 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Now add in the curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric, and cumin, stirring constantly to make sure the spices don’t burn.
At this point add the chicken pieces and cook until they’re browned.
Stir in the tomatoes and let them break down into the sauce. Pour in the coconut milk, throw in those fresh curry leaves, and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
Season to taste, turn into a warmed bowl and serve accompanied by the rice.
