Shared recipe · Sri Lankan
Kukul Hathu Kari – Coconut-Poached Chicken with King Oysters
Serves 4 · 3 hr total
A proper Sri Lankan coconut curry in which chicken and king oysters are poached gently in a mustard-seed, curry-leaf and tomato broth, then served in that same aromatic liquid over basmati.
Ingredients
Rice
- 320 gBasmati rice
Sauce
- 1.5 tspBlack mustard seeds
- 2Brown onions
- 1Cinnamon stick
- 2 tbspCoconut oil
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 0.5 tspFenugreek seeds
- 2 tspFine salt
- 20 gFresh curry leaves
- 30 gFresh ginger
- 400 mlFull-fat coconut milk
- 2Green chillies
- 1 tspGround coriander
- 1 tspGround turmeric
- 800 gIsle of Wight Tomato Organic Selection
- 1 tbspItalian tomato puree
- 5Large Spanish garlic
- 1Lime
- 2 tbspMild curry powder
Veg
- 150 gBritish organic king oyster mushrooms
Protein
- 800 gChicken thigh fillets
To serve
- 25 gFresh coriander
Method
- 1Pat the chicken thigh fillets dry, cut into large bite-size pieces and toss with 1 tsp fine salt and the ground turmeric. Leave at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while you prep the rest.
- 2Thickly slice the Natoora British Organic King Oyster Mushrooms on the bias. Roughly chop 800 g of the Isle of Wight Tomato Organic Selection. Finely slice the brown onions; crush the Natoora Large Spanish Garlic; grate the fresh ginger; slit the green chillies.
- 3Heat the coconut oil in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds; when the mustard pops (30–45 seconds), tip in the fresh curry leaves and cinnamon stick and fry 20 seconds until the leaves crisp and smell nutty.
- 4Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook 8–10 minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chillies for 1 minute, then the Laila Mild Curry Powder, ground coriander and Cirio Italian Tomato Puree; fry 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens and smells toasted.
- 5Tip in the chopped Isle of Wight tomatoes and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until they collapse and release a thick red liquor. Pour in the full-fat coconut milk and 150 ml water, scrape the base, and bring just to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil.
- 6Nestle the salted chicken into the liquid so it is mostly submerged. Cover, drop the heat to low, and poach very gently for 45–50 minutes, stirring once, until the chicken is tender and just cooked through (probe ~75°C).
- 7Lift the lid, add the sliced king oyster mushrooms, and continue to poach uncovered on low for 20–25 minutes so the mushrooms soften and the poaching liquid reduces to a spoon-coating gravy. Do not rush or boil hard.
- 8Meanwhile, rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clearer. Put it in a saucepan with 480 ml freshly boiled water and a pinch of salt, bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest heat 12 minutes. Rest off the heat, still covered, 10 minutes, then fluff.
- 9Taste the curry: add the remaining 1 tsp salt if needed, then squeeze in the juice of the lime off the heat. The gravy should taste rich, coconutty, gently spiced and bright — adjust salt or lime until it sings.
- 10Rest the curry 10 minutes off the heat so the chicken reabsorbs juices. Chop the fresh coriander. Serve the chicken, mushrooms and all of the aromatic poaching gravy over the basmati, scattered with coriander.