Kukul Mas (Sri Lankan Chicken Curry) — High‑Protein

Name: Kukul Mas (Sri Lankan Chicken Curry) — High‑Protein
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 800 g boneless skinless chicken breast; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion; 4 clove garlic; 1 piece fresh ginger; 8 leaf curry leaves; 2 piece green chilies; 1 medium tomato; 1 piece cinnamon stick; 3 pod green cardamom; 3 piece clove; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 0.5 tsp ground turmeric; 0.5 tsp chili powder; 200 ml coconut milk; 150 ml water; 0.5 tsp salt; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro; 1 pinch black pepper

A classic Sri Lankan chicken curry built around toasted whole spices, fresh aromatics and a light coconut sauce. Uses boneless chicken breast so each serving delivers a large helping of protein—good for training or meal prep.

AI image

50 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the marinade

800 g boneless skinless chicken breastcut into 1½-inch pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oilpart of total oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chili powdermild or hot to taste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp tamarind pasteor 1 tbsp lime juice; adds mild tang

Contains tree-nut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

500 kcal60g protein8g carbs24g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients: 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt and the tamarind paste; toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate to marinate at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat; add coriander and cumin seeds and toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 1–2 minutes.
Watch closely — seeds burn fast.
Transfer the toasted seeds to a mortar and pestle or small spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder; set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods and whole cloves and fry 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
Add the sliced onion and curry leaves (if using) and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is deep golden brown, 8–10 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger and green chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato and cook until it breaks down and becomes saucy, 3–4 minutes.
Stir in the ground toasted-spice mix, the additional 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp chili powder; cook, stirring, 1 minute to toast the ground spices.
Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and increase heat slightly; brown the chicken on all sides for 4–5 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and 150 ml water, scrape up any browned bits from the pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pan and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens, 18–20 minutes.
Uncover and simmer 3–4 minutes more if you want a thicker sauce; taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat, stir in chopped cilantro, remove the cinnamon stick and large whole spices if desired, and let the curry rest 2 minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice or roti and a side of lightly dressed greens.

Worth knowing

Use boneless skinless thighs instead of breast for a juicier result; keep the same weight and cooking time.
If you don't have a spice grinder, substitute 1 tsp ground coriander + 1/2 tsp ground cumin and skip the toasting step.
This curry is excellent for meal prep — it keeps 3–4 days in the refrigerator and reheats well. Add a splash of water when reheating if sauce has thickened.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Gluten-freeHalalHigh proteinMeal prep

More Sri Lankan cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Sri Lankan cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free and halal as listed.