I must admit I am a curry lover. I am extremely fortunate to be married to a Sri Lankan and I have had quite a few cooking lessons with my in laws over the years over in the UK but also at Aunties and Cousins houses in Sri Lanka.
I have been asked to provide recipes for my favourite curries which I incorporate many healing foods such as bone broth and turmeric. Now Sri Lankan curries are served with lots of little serving dishes and you have a little of each with a plate of rice (or cauliflower rice).
To keep this GAPS friendly and Paleo make cauliflower rice.
Enjoy!
The first of my favourites is Lentil Dhal
DHAL CURRY
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) dhal (lentils – orange variety)
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups bone broth
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1⁄4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1⁄4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1⁄2 onion chopped fine
few curry leaves
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup coconut milk
Directions
- Wash dhal in about 3 changes of water
- Put the dhal in a pan. Add bone broth and turmeric and let it boil on a medium heat. Care should be taken not to cook on a high heat as dhal tends to boil over. Once the dhal is cooked, it will turn yellow in colour and will have a nice mushy content. It should take approx. 20 minutes.
- Take another small fry pan. Heat the oil, fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and when mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and the cumin seeds. Then add the onions and curry leaves and when the onions caramelise add this to the cooked dhal and cook over a low heat. Add salt and the milk and continue to cook for about 5 minutes and the dhal curry is ready for serving.
CHICKEN CURRY
Ingredients
3 tablespoons Coconut oil
6 cardamom pods bruised
1 cm piece cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons un-roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
2 kg chicken (thighs and drumsticks)
2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
2 onions sliced fine
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 Cup Bone Broth
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
Directions
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, garlic and ginger and stir well. Add the chilli powder and curry powder. (This should be done on a low heat otherwise the chilli powder can burn).
- Add the chicken pieces and salt. Mix well so that the chicken pieces are well coated with the other ingredients. Turn the heat down and with a lid on cook the chicken for about 30 minutes.
- Open the lid and add the sliced onions and curry leaves. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes or until the meat comes off the bone.
- Add the bone broth and coconut milk and simmer until the gravy is thick.
GREEN BEAN CURRY
Ingredients
450 grams fresh organic beans finely sliced
3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dry chillies (optional)
3 or 4 curry leaves roughly broken
1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 onion sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup bone broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
Directions
If using fresh beans slice them finely. Heat the oil in a pan.
Add mustard and fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and dry chillies (if using).
Stir and add sliced beans and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Add the sliced onion and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the chilli powder and stir until incorporated. Add the salt and bone broth and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat with a lid on.
When the beans are cooked add the coconut milk and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes on low heat until the curry has a dry appearance.
Serve with rice or Cauliflower rice and most of all Enjoy!!!