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Chicken and Potato curry

Chicken and potato curry cooked in Sri Lankan style with coconut milk spices to give you tender potatoes and creamy juicy chicken covered in gravy.

If you ever had chicken and potatoes as two separate curries for a meal, you know these two ingredients go well. 

Cooked as a one-pot meal, this Sri Lankan chicken-potato curry looks like your regular stew with less gravy.

Great for no-fuss, weekday family dinners., this easy one-pot dish comes together to make one of our favourite dinners.

With the curry spices, bay leaves, and a few other curry recipe ingredients, I’m turning this Sri Lankan curry into a slow-cooked dish that the whole family can enjoy.

What to serve with chicken and potato curry.

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FAQ about Sri Lankan chicken and potato curry.

  • Why can’t I cook the potato with the chicken to save time?
    • For this recipe, one of the first things we do is parboil the potatoes.
    • I am doing this, so that, by the time the chicken is cooked, we have two ingredients that are evenly cooked, giving the curry the correct consistency. 
    • Overcooked potatoes can make the gravy too thick and mushy. 
  • How long should I cook the potatoes to par-boil them?
    • 15-20 minutes if they are large potatoes.
    • 10-15 minutes if the potatoes are small.

Utensils and appliances needed.

  • A one-pot dish.
  • A deep pan to boil the potatoes.
  • A large pan to cook the following dish.

Workflow to make this recipe.

  1. Gather all ingredients.
  2. Wash, clean and cut the main ingredients.
  3. Boil the potatoes
  4. step-by-step adding ingredients to build up the curry.

More Sri Lankan chicken recipes.

Sri Lankan chicken curry.

Chicken curry cooked without coconut milk.

Sri Lankan pepper chicken curry.

Sri Lankan devilled chicken curry.

Jaffna curry powder chicken. 

Kalupol Sri Lankan chicken curry.

Sri Lankan Chicken and potato curry.

500g of potatoes

700g of chicken cut to the required size(you can use bone-in chicken parts or a whole breast)

1/8 spoon of turmeric powder(a pinch)

Tempering ingredients

3-4 tablespoons of oil

2 medium-sized onions chopped fine

2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste

2 green chillies split in the middle

1-2 inch cinnamon

3 cardamoms

2 bay leaves

1-star anise(can be cooked without)

Ingredients to cook the chicken potato curry

1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder(increase to another teaspoon for more heat)

1 tablespoon of curry powder 

2 teaspoon fresh pepper powder

Salt to season

1 cup of water

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

Method

Clean and cut the chicken(700g)to the required size.

Make sure you cut the chicken parts slightly larger than the potatoes.

Once they are cut, season with salt and a pinch of turmeric(1/8th spoon).

Set aside till it’s time to add them to the cooking spice mix.

Scrub, wash and place the potatoes(500g)in a pot, add water until the potatoes are completely submerged.

Bring them to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and continue to simmer the potatoes(refer to notes above on how long to parboil them).

Once par-boiled, let them cool or peel them under running water and set them aside.

Cut each potato into four large chunks and make sure all the potatoes are cut the same size.

Cooking the chicken and potato curry.

Place a large pan over medium heat and pour in the oil(3-4 tbsps).

Add the sliced onions(2 medium-sized), ginger-garlic paste(2 tbsps), cinnamon, cardamom(3), green chilli(2 split in the middle)and sauté the ingredients for 3 minutes.

Add the star anise(1 optional), bay leaves(2)to the pan and continue to sauté until the onions turn soft and translucent.

Reduce heat to low and add turmeric(1/2 a tsp), chilli powder(1 tsp, increase to another teaspoon for more heat).

Add curry powder(1 tbsp), pepper powder(2 tsps).

Combine all ingredients with the cooked spices.

Add the chicken parts into the cooking spices, combine and then spread the chicken parts evenly in the pan.

Make sure you let each side of the chicken slightly brown before turning them over.

Continue cooking and browning the chicken over reduced heat so as not to burn the spices.

15-20 minutes.

While the chicken semi-fries over a reduced heat,

Add the potatoes into the pan, combine and cook with the chicken for 10 minutes over a low-medium fire.

Season with salt.

Pour in the water(1 cup) and cook until water is reduced.

Pour the coconut milk(1/2 a cup), add extra pepper if you need it and continue to cook until you have a thick gravy.

If you find the consistency is too thick, you can thin the gravy by adding an extra 1/4 cup of water.

Season with salt if necessary and serve warm with your favourite flatbread.

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Sri Lankan Chicken and Potato curry

Sri Lankan Chicken and Potato curry

Yield: 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Chicken and potato curry cooked in Sri Lankan style with coconut milk spices to give you tender potatoes and creamy juicy chicken covered in gravy.

If you ever had chicken and potatoes as two separate curries for a meal, you know these two ingredients go well. 

Ingredients

Ingredients to make Chicken and potato curryew Group

  • 500g of potatoes
  • 700g of chicken cut to the required size(you can use bone-in chicken parts or a whole breast)
  • 1/8 spoon of turmeric powder(a pinch)

Tempering ingredients

  • 3-4 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 green chillies split in the middle
  • 1-2 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cardamoms
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1-star anise(can be cooked without)

Ingredients to cook the chicken potato curry

  • 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder(increase to another teaspoon for more heat)
  • 1 tablespoon of curry powder
  • 2 teaspoon fresh pepper powder
  • Salt to season
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Clean and cut the chicken(700g)to the required size.
  2. Make sure you cut the chicken parts slightly larger than the potatoes.
  3. Once they are cut, season with salt and a pinch of turmeric(1/8th spoon).
  4. Set aside till it’s time to add them to the cooking spice mix.
  5. Scrub, wash and place the potatoes(500g)in a pot, add water until the potatoes are completely submerged.
  6. Bring them to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and continue to simmer the potatoes(refer to notes above on how long to parboil them).
  7. Once par-boiled, let them cool or peel them under running water and set them aside.
  8. Cut each potato into four large chunks and make sure all the potatoes are cut the same size.
  9. Cooking the chicken and potato curry.
  10. Place a large pan over medium heat and pour in the oil(3-4 tbsps).
  11. Add the sliced onions(2 medium-sized), ginger-garlic paste(2 tbsps), cinnamon, cardamom(3), green chilli(2 split in the middle)and sauté the ingredients for 3 minutes.
  12. Add the star anise(1 optional), bay leaves(2)to the pan and continue to sauté until the onions turn soft and translucent.
  13. Reduce heat to low and add turmeric(1/2 a tsp), chilli powder(1 tsp, increase to another teaspoon for more heat).
  14. Add curry powder(1 tbsp), pepper powder(2 tsps).
  15. Combine all ingredients with the cooked spices.
  16. Add the chicken parts into the cooking spices, combine and then spread the chicken parts evenly in the pan.
  17. Make sure you let each side of the chicken slightly brown before turning them over.
  18. Continue cooking and browning the chicken over reduced heat so as not to burn the spices.
  19. 15-20 minutes.
    While the chicken semi-fries over a reduced heat.
  20. Add the potatoes into the pan, combine and cook with the chicken for 10 minutes over a low-medium fire.
  21. Season with salt.
  22. Pour in the water(1 cup) and cook until water is reduced.
  23. Pour the coconut milk(1/2 a cup), add extra pepper if you need it and continue to cook until you have a thick gravy.
  24. If you find the consistency is too thick, you can thin the gravy by adding an extra 1/4 cup of water.
  25. Season with salt if necessary and serve warm with your favourite flatbread.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 750Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 439mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 47g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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Dana Bursik

Wednesday 2nd of March 2022

hi ur recipe asks to add turmeric to the chicken curry but it doesnt say how much as i want to make this ur recipe also says curry leaves but doesnt say how much

jehan

Thursday 3rd of March 2022

Hi Dana, Thank you for letting me know, will correct the errors. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder and about 7-8 curry leaves, you can substitute the curry leaves with 2 bay leaves. Hope this helps. regards J

Ollie

Sunday 13th of October 2019

Got a strange feeling this recipe Can’t be frozen would that correct. As I now work long hours and don’t get home till late I’m looking for recipes that can be cooked at the weekend frozen then heated up midweek. Thanks. Ollie.

Ollie

Wednesday 21st of August 2019

Made this without curry leaves as I couldn’t find any in my local supermarket now that I’ve found some I decided to make this recipe again,only problem although it says to add curry leaves in the instructions it doesn’t say how many in the ingredients. Anyone got any idea ?

jehan

Wednesday 21st of August 2019

Hi Ollie, a sprig or 5 curry leaves should do

Mary Vatsaloo

Friday 1st of February 2019

Are you using chicken with bones of boneless?

jehan

Friday 1st of February 2019

Hello Mary Vatsaloo, You can use with bones or boneless. for this recipe, I used a chicken breast. I'll make sure to specify this detail on the recipe. thank you.

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