chicken ambulthiyal curry(black pepper-sour chicken curry)

A hot chicken dish without gravy that looks and tastes like grilled chicken, only it’s made over a stovetop.

chicken curry.

Keep it simple. avoid adding any pickled salad or other side-dishes that use vinegar.

Ghee rice, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and sliced onions tossed together with a little salt, green-bean stir fry and coconut milk-based mild curry should do it.

Add your favorite mallung to the meal as well(try the beetroot mallum, green mung mallum or cabbage mallum).

Poppadoms, curd chillies can also be added to your Sri Lankan menu.

One of the key ingredients in this black pepper chicken is the use of goraka(Sinhalese term). It’s the ingredient that gives this dry chicken curry its unique taste.

WHAT IS “GORAKA”?

It’s also known as Brindleberry, Indian tamarind and in Sinhalese, “goraka”.

The key taste it brings to the dish is the sour taste.

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Utensils and appliances needed.

Does the chicken ambulthiyal taste like the fish ambulthiyal?

Not exactly. since the meat textures are different, there is a difference.

The most predominant tastes are both pepper and the sour taste coming through.

For the chicken ambulthiyal, we are only making the goraka blend and not the spice paste but adding the spices and other ingredients as we cook.

Check out the Indian or Sri Lankan shops first for goraka, you might also find it in paste form.

If you are unable to find it then the next best substitute is tamarind pulp or paste.

Whether you use the tamarind pulp or paste, make sure to be very careful about how much you use.

Tamarind has a much sharper sour taste that can really put off the flavors in this black pepper chicken curry if you overuse it.

What you want to happen is to taste the combination from the heat of the black pepper and the sourness of the tamarind to work together in balancing out the flavors. so please use the tamarind quantity mentioned below.

What can I substitute for roasted curry powder?

Quite frankly, I hesitate to give you a substitute but if you’re not going to try the recipe simply because you haven’t found this one ingredient then simply take your regular curry powder, gently dry roast over a very low flame until slightly dark and use it.

Try my raw curry powder recipe if you haven’t made your own curry powder before.

Other ambulthiyal recipes.

More Sri Lankan chicken recipes to try!

Storing- once cool you can refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Freezing- once cooked, leave out to reach room temperature and store in a ziplock or airtight containers. use within two weeks.

Heating- leave the dry chicken curry to reach room temperature, cook over the stovetop with a few tablespoons of water to heat the chicken.

If you are microwaving sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water over the chicken parts before you microwave(3-4 minutes should do).

Stop food waste by- if you’ve made too much, portion out the chicken ambulthiyal and use as needed.

Strip the meat of any leftovers, stir-fry with few onion slices, layer it over a slice of cheese and make a sandwich toast.

Ambulthiyal.

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Cut and wash the chicken parts thoroughly, remove any excess fat trimmings, make sharp and deep incisions(2-3) over the meat especially if you are using legs, set aside.

Making the ambulthiyal paste.

Place the goraka pieces(18 pieces), garlic(4 cloves) in a pan with 1/2 cup of water. slow simmer for 10 minutes or until the goraka is soft.

If you are using tamarind as a substitute – do not boil just blend the garlic, peppercorns to make a watery paste.

I have given the quantity for both paste or pulp with seeds on the ingredient list.

Once the goraka is soft, use a few tablespoons of the same water, peppercorns(1 tbs), the garlic cloves, the goraka(brindleberry)and blend it to make a thick paste.

How to marinate the chicken for the ambulthiyal.

Place the chicken parts(700g)in a large bowl.

Add pepper(1 and 1/2 tbs), chilli powder(1tbs), turmeric(1 tsp), roasted curry powder(1 tbs), season with salt(1 tsp or a little more for seasoning with caution not to make it too salty).

Combine all ingredients and rub the dry spices on to the chicken, if you are sensitive to spices, wear disposable gloves to combine the curry powders with the chicken.

Finally, add the goraka paste and rub it onto the chicken parts. let it marinate for 15 minutes.

Transfer the marinated chicken to a cooking pan.

Add curry leaves(a sprig), pandan leaf(1 inch) lemongrass(1 stalk), garlic(1 tbs). oil(2 tbs).

Add water(1 cup), place the chicken ambulthiyal curry over low flame and slow simmer.

Check for seasoning once you have a thick gravy and season with salt if needed.

Continue to slow simmer until all water is absorbed and the chicken curry turns to a dry curry.

Maintaining low-medium heat. slightly sear the meat to give it a charred taste and look. add a tablespoon of oil if you need.

Cook the pepper chicken until you have a dry chicken ambulthiyal curry.