Sri Lanken Chicken

Barry "Noted Chef" Sanders was kind enough to share this recipe with me.  It is the roadmap to palette nirvana. Sri Lankan Chicken Serves 2 Marinade 1 cinnamon stick 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp paprika ½ tsp chilli powder (more or less to taste) 4 cardamom pods 2 whole cloves (the spice not garlic) Ingrediants 2 chicken breasts bone and skin remove, cut in rough piece 2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil 1 onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 3 cm fresh ginger grated 1 tbsp minced chillis 6-10 curry leaves  (you can find these at an Indian store) 1/2 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander ½ tsp turmeric ½ cup coconut cream (cream not milk) 1 tin crushed tomatoes chopped cilantro for garnish lime wedges for garnish Serve with basmati rice Method 1. Remove cardamom seeds from their pods and discard the pods.  Grind cardamom seeds and cloves in a pestle and mortar.  Once ground up, add paprika, chilli powder and vinegar and work into a paste.  Put the paste into a medium sized bowl with cinnamon stick and cut up chicken.  Coat the chicken well in the paste and allow to marinade covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. 2. Once the chicken has marinated, heat the oil in a medium sized skillet or saucepan over a medium.  Saute the onions until golden brown onions, then add the garlic, ginger, chilli mince and curry leaves for 3 minutes making sure it doesn’t burn. 3. Reduce the heat, add cumin, coriander, and turmeric and cook the spices for another minute or until fragrant. 4. Now add the marinated chicken mixture to the pan and return the heat to medium to high, and brown the chicken for 3-5 minutes. 5. Next add the can of crushed tomatoes and bring mixture to the boil.  Add coconut cream.  Reduce heat to a simmer. 6. Allow to simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes until sauce has thickened. 7. Serve on a bed of basmati/jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.