Clem's Sri Lankan Kukul Mas Mirisata
 
 
 

As a boy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was a place I knew only by its stamps. Later we learnt more about its geography and economics in school. But, there were also people of Ceylonese descent in town viz. the Chief Librarian at the Sarawak Library (in the Sarawak Museum grounds in those days) was a Eurasian with a Portuguese family name (da Silva). I remember that I had to go see him one year in my junior high school because I had misplaced a book borrowed from the library which I then could not return. He charged me only a small amount as the lost book fee (I actually later found the book - one on stage-property keeping [this was during my amateur dramatics years]). This librarian was in the same batch as my Dad who were sent for studies in Australia around 1956.

I would very much like to visit tea plantations in Sri Lanka one day as my earliest associations with tea drinking was Ceylon tea (rather than China teas). I have the fortune to visit the a Boh plantation in the Cameron Highlands in Malaya and also an abandoned tea plantation (Mayang) outside Kuching:

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo759.html

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo761.html

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo768.html

But, I think a visit to a Sri Lanka tea plantation would complete a personal history.

 

That was a digression in introducing today's culinary item. In Sinhala (the language of the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka), kukul mas (කුකුල් මාස්) means "chicken meat". In the word Mirisata (මිරිසාටා) , miris is Sinhala for chill or pepper and the suffix -ata means "manner of preparation". Thus, together Kukul Mas Mirisata means Spicy Chicken (Curry). When the  spiciness of this dish is tempered by the addition of coconut milk, the dish becomes Kukul Mas Kirata (with milk).

Kukul Mas Mirisata is prepared using Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder. The dish can also be mildly tangy through the addition of vinegar.

Here is how you can make the dish:
 

Making Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons Coriander seeds
     
  • 2 tablespoons Fennel seeds
     
  • 2 tablespoons Cumin seeds
     
  • 1 tablespoon uncooked rice
     
  • 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
     
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
     
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
     
  • 5 cloves
     
  • 5 Cardamon pods (seeds only)
     
  • 2 sprigs Curry leaves
     
  • 1 pandan leaf
     
  • 1 quill Sri Lankan Cinnamon
     

Method

  • Dry toast each of the spices separately until nearly done
    (done is when the seeds are browned off)
     
  • Bring all the items together and do the final toasting combined.
     
  • Let the ingredients cool off and then fine grind.

 

  

The ingredients for the powder after dry toasting, ready for grinding
 

The spices after grinding
 

 

 

Making Sri Lankan Kukul Mas Mirisata

Note:
Though this is a mirisata, the actual final level of spiciness is all under your control by the amount of chillis you add in the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 750 g skinless, bone-in chicken pieces
     

  • 150g Red Onion; sliced
     

  • 1 small tomato; chopped
     

  • 20 g Green Chilli; sliced
     

  • 20 g chilli powder
     

  • 15 g Garlic; minced
     

  • 15 g ginger; minced
     

  • 15 Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
     

  • 10 g Salt
     

  • 5 g Curry Leaves
     

  • 3 g Turmeric Powder
     

  • 3 g Cinnamon Quill
     

  • 15 g vinegar
     

  • 40 - 50 g cooking oil
     

  • 300 g water
     

Method

  • Marinate the 750 g of skinless chicken with 10 g salt; 3 g Turmeric powder; 10 g of Chilli powder and 15 g of vinegar.
    Leave for an hour.
     

  • In a suitable sized pan, heat up the cooking oil and then fry 5 g of Curry leaves, 3 g Cinnamon quill, and 150 g sliced Red Onion.
    Fry until the onions are golden brown.
     

  • Add 15 g of minced garlic, 15 g minced ginger, and fry for a couple of minutes.
     

  • Add 100 g of chopped tomatoes, 10 g of chill powder and 15 of Roasted Curry Powder.

    Fry until the tomatoes are softened.
     

  • Add the marinated chicken; coat all pieces with the masala in the pan, and fry until all the chicken pieces change colour (cooked on the surface).
     

  • Add 300 g of water; stir to mix, then simmer the curry for some 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how tender you would like the chicken.
     

  • At the last stage of cooking, if the curry is not thick enough to your liking, continue cooking with the pan unlidded to allow water to evaporate.

    You may also choose to add thickening agent at this stage (roast rice powder; starch) to thicken if the gravy is runny.
     

  • This is the stage that you can add coconut milk make this Kukul Mas curry into a kirata.
     

  • Now you have made Kukul Mas Mirisata.
     

  • Serve with rice or flat bread.

 

 


Clem's Kukul Mas Mirisata
 
 

 

ENJOY!!



 

www.clemkuek.com

 

10 September 2026
 

Cooking by Clem: https://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html
 

Video presentations can be found here:

Earlier Days: https://youtu.be/BWyHY1h9Y5s

Recent Past: https://youtu.be/PL9wWSI_Dfw

More Recently: https://youtu.be/nk6O2tGJ5pk

 



Created by Clem Kuek