Lonumirus Kukulhu Riha

Kukulhu riha or chicken curry is a classic Maldivian dish, usually made for Friday lunch time. Here, we have a recipe showing how you can spice up the typical chicken curry with a richer lonumirus (a Maldivian chilli and herb paste) flavour. 

To make this delicious curry, we have used Loajehi Lonumirus Havaadhu, provided to us by one of our partners, KDM. It is a dry lonumirus-flavoured curry powder which is especially great for making Maldivian curries. Its flavours are light with a kick of spiciness, which goes really well with curries and other meat and fish dishes.

Serving size: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1kg whole chicken
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 20 curry leaves
• 6-inch piece pandan leaf (cut into four pieces)
• ½ scotch bonnet
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 5 tsp Loajehi Lonumirus Havaadhu
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup water

Instructions:

1. To prepare the chicken, remove the skin and cut into medium-sized pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat up 2 tbsp oil on medium heat for around 1 minute. Once heated, add in 1 cup thinly sliced onion, 20 curry leaves, 6-inch piece pandan leaf (cut into four pieces), and ½ scotch bonnet.
3. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the onions soften and begins to turn gold in colour. Then, add in 2 chopped garlic cloves and mix well for around 30 seconds.
4. After that, add 5 tsp Loajehi Lonumirus Havaadhu, stir well for another 30 seconds or just until the spices mix in with the onions and become fragrant.
5. Next, mix in ¼ cup tomato paste and cook for 30 more seconds. Then, pour in 1 cup coconut milk and ½ water. Stir to combine everything together. The curry will be a pale orange in colour by then and will turn more vibrant as the curry cooks more.
6. Add in the cut chicken, along with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar. Mix well together and cover the pot with the lid.
7. Keep the heat on medium and let it cook for about 15 minutes, then decrease the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through (the curry will come to a boil while cooking). To check if the chicken is cooked, remove a piece from the pot and cut it; if it’s white all the way through, then it is cooked. Stir occasionally and adjust salt if needed.
8. Take off the lid and let the curry cook for another 5 minutes. When the curry is fully cooked, it will be a vibrant orange in colour and the chicken will be tender. Some of the water will be reduced down to make a thicker base, but the curry should still be a bit runny. Now, it’s ready to be served with rice or roshi.