Sri Lankan Curry Chicken Cheese Toastie with Pol Sambol

Method

1. Pol sambol: chop the red onion very finely, put some in a bowl and keep the rest for the filling. If using desiccated coconut, sprinkle it with a little hot water and leave for 5 minutes. Add the coconut, chilli flakes, lime juice and salt to the onion and rub together with your fingertips until the coconut turns pale orange.

   Add in this stepGrated coconut, fresh or desiccated (unsweetened) 4 tbspChilli flakes ½ tspRed onion (medium) ¼Lime ½Salt (for the sambol) 1 pinch

2. Cut the chicken into small 1.5 cm pieces and chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat, add the curry leaves for a few seconds (they spit), then the rest of the onion and the garlic, and fry for 3 min until soft.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspCurry leaves (single leaves) 10Red onion (medium) ¼Garlic cloves 2

   medium heat

3. Add the chicken, curry powder, chilli powder and salt and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 6 min, until the chicken is white all the way through and the spices smell toasty. Wash your hands and board right after handling raw chicken.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 240 gCurry powder 3 tspChilli powder ½ tspSalt (for the filling) ½ tsp

   medium-high heat

4. Pour in the coconut milk and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 4 min, until it has almost disappeared and the sauce clings to the chicken. A wet filling makes a soggy toastie, so reduce it well. Spread on a plate and cool for 5 minutes; it's easier to assemble.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 80 ml

   medium heat

5. Butter one side of each slice of bread thinly and lay them buttered side down. Top half the slices with half the mozzarella, the curry chicken and the rest of the mozzarella, then close with the remaining slices, buttered side up, and press gently.

   Add in this stepThick sandwich bread (slices) 4Soft butter 20 gGrated mozzarella 60 g

6. Put a dry pan over medium-low heat and toast the sandwiches in 1 batch(es). Weigh them down with a lid or small pot and cook 3 min on the first side, then flip and cook 2 min 30 sec, until deep golden and the cheese oozes. If the heat is too high, the bread burns before the cheese melts, so keep it medium-low.

   medium-low heat

7. Cut diagonally, stack to show off the filling and serve with the pol sambol to pile on each bite.