Black Chicken And Green Rice: Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Recipes For A Sri Lankan Summer Barbecue

In nan 1990s, my relative Sri Anna was a elder Sri Lankan policeman. Surprisingly for us, visiting from England, that meant he sewage a driver, a gun, a bully pad to unrecorded successful and a squad of sensational cooks to crockery up various delicacies from wherever he was stationed. In nan south, his favourite was achromatic pork curry, and astatine my edifice Rambutan we now make a marinade from akin spices for pineapple, beef and, my preference, chicken, earlier we grill it complete coals. To assistance it a little, nan vertebrate is vanished pinch a speedy fragrant lipid of tempered spices and parsley (similar to nan peppery land herb we telephone vallarai). You tin eat it pinch aliases without nan cool, greenish coconut atom and herb sambol, which is my effort to recreate a very tasty luncheon I had astatine 1 of my favourite Colombo spots, Taste of Asia.

Green coconut atom pinch herb and reddish bulb sambol

Fragrant pinch spices, cooked successful coconut beverage and pinch a grassy, caller sensation from nan greens, this atom is very speedy and easy, and cleanable pinch nan citrussy, herb sambol that you find each complete nan island.

Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

For nan rice
50g spinach, washed
15g caller coriander, washed
2½cm portion caller guidelines ginger, peeled
2 ail cloves, peeled
250g achromatic rice
25g salted butter
3 green cardamom pods, mildly crushed
5 black peppercorns
150ml coconut milk
2 tsp salt

For nan sambol
1 ample ripe tomato, trim into 10-12 wedges
½ ample reddish onion, peeled and finely sliced
1-2 greenish digit chillies, finely sliced, aliases to taste
2 limes
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil, aliases neutral oil

Put nan spinach, coriander, ginger and ail successful a mini blender aliases nutrient processor, and blitz to a soft paste – you want each nan fibres to break down, truthful you whitethorn request to adhd a scatter of h2o to thief things along.

Put nan atom successful a fine-meshed strainer and rinse nether acold moving h2o for astir a minute, until nan h2o runs mostly clear (this helps region immoderate aboveground starch, truthful nan grains will beryllium fluffy and abstracted erstwhile cooked). Leave nan atom to drain.

Melt nan food successful a medium-sized cookware connected a mean heat, past adhd nan cardamom and achromatic peppercorns and navigator connected a debased power for a infinitesimal aliases 2 – nan spices should move fragrant and commencement to sizzle slightly, but nan food should not beryllium browned.

Stir nan washed atom and blended greens into nan butter, past move successful nan coconut milk, brackish and 300ml water, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a debased simmer, screen and navigator for 17-20 minutes, until nan atom is cooked done and has absorbed each nan liquid; operation occasionally to forestall sticking. Once nan atom is cooked, move disconnected nan power and time off covered to support lukewarm while you make nan sambol.

In a bowl, harvester nan tomato, reddish bulb and greenish chilli. Season pinch lime juice, brackish and oil, past sensation and adhd much brackish if request be. Mix well, making judge to break up nan bulb slices.

To combine nan dish, dispersed nan atom complete a ample platter. Spoon immoderate sambol complete immoderate of nan rice, put nan remainder successful a vessel to nan broadside and serve.

Black chickenhearted pinch tempered parsley

Prep 15 min
Marinade 2 hr+
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4

For nan achromatic herb mix
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp achromatic peppercorns
1 instrumentality cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cloves seeds
2 tsp chilli powder

For nan chicken
1 ample full chickenhearted (about 1½-2kg)
4 tbsp achromatic herb mix (see supra and method)
1 caput garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 fistful curry leaves, fresh, ideally
120ml cider vinegar
1 tbsp salt
3 ample reddish onions, peeled and trim into wedges
3 sticks lemongrass

For nan temper
100ml coconut oil, aliases neutral cooking oil
½ tbsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp fennel seeds
4-5 caller curry leaves
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
2 ail cloves, peeled and finely diced
2 tsp cider vinegar
Salt, to taste

Roast each nan full spices for nan herb operation (ie, everything barroom nan chilli powder) successful a barren frying cookware connected a debased to mean heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until they smell fragrant. Take disconnected nan heat, time off to cool, past extremity into a herb grinder aliases mortar and blitz aliases grind to a good powder. Put nan powder backmost successful nan barren cookware and toast connected a precocious heat, stirring constantly, for a infinitesimal aliases two, until it turns acheronian brownish and almost achromatic successful colour; this will move them nutty and almost smoky. Take disconnected nan heat, time off to cool completely, past operation successful nan chilli powder. Store successful a cleanable sealed jar and usage wrong 2 months.

Turn nan chickenhearted bosom broadside down, usage room scissors to trim each nan measurement on each broadside of nan backbone, past assistance it retired and discard (or prevention for stock). Flip nan vertebrate complete truthful it’s now bosom broadside up, past property down pinch nan thenar of your manus to flatten and spatchcock it.

For nan marinade, operation 4 tablespoons of nan achromatic herb operation successful a roasting tray pinch nan peeled garlic, curry leaves, vinegar, brackish and reddish onions. Rub this substance each complete nan bird, making judge you get it into each nan crevices and nether nan skin, past screen and put successful nan fridge to marinade for 2 hours aliases overnight.

Take nan chickenhearted retired of nan fridge astatine slightest half an hr earlier you want to navigator it. Lightly bash nan lemongrass stalks, truthful they smell fragrant.

To barbecue nan bird, laic it tegument broadside down complete medium-heat coals, put nan lemongrass on top, past screen pinch foil. After 20 minutes, uncover and grill for 20 minutes more, until nan tegument crisps up and nan chickenhearted is cooked done yet juicy – if you person a probe, it should person an soul somesthesia of 70C. Alternatively, screen and roast successful an 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 oven for astir 40 minutes, again topped pinch nan lemongrass, until nan juices tally clear.

Put nan chickenhearted to 1 broadside to remainder for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make nan speedy tempered oil. Put nan lipid successful a mini cookware connected a mean power and, erstwhile it’s hot, adhd nan mustard seeds and navigator for 20 seconds, until they commencement to popular a small (be observant not to pain them, though). Turn down nan heat, adhd nan cumin and fennel seeds, and navigator for 30 aliases truthful seconds, until fragrant. Tip into a bowl, operation successful nan curry leaves and time off to cool to warm. Stir nan parsley, shallot, ail and vinegar into nan cooled temper, past play to taste.

Carve nan chicken, put connected a platter, dress pinch nan parsley temper and serve.

• Cynthia Shanmugalingam is chef/owner of Rambutan, London SE1