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1. Toast the dried red chilies, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just darkened, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
6 piece dried red chilies,
1.5 tsp fennel seeds,
2 tbsp coriander seeds,
1 tsp cumin seeds,
1 tsp black peppercorns,
0.5 tsp fenugreek seeds,
0.5 tsp mustard seeds,
1 piece cinnamon stick,
4 piece cloves
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2. Grind the cooled toasted spices to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, then mix in the turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and smoked paprika to form the Jaffna-style masala.
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1.5 tsp Kashmiri chili powder,
0.5 tsp smoked paprika
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3. Finely slice the onion, chop the tomato, mince the garlic, and grate or finely mince the ginger.
2 piece onion,
2 piece tomato,
6 clove garlic,
1.5 tbsp ginger
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4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sliced onion and curry leaves, and cook until the onion is deep golden brown and caramelized.
1 piece onion,
3 tbsp vegetable oil,
20 piece fresh curry leaves
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5. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, then add the prepared Jaffna-style masala and fry briefly, stirring to coat the aromatics and deepen the color.
3 clove garlic,
0.8 tbsp ginger
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6. Add the chopped tomato to the pan and cook, stirring and mashing, until it breaks down into a thick paste and oil begins to separate around the edges.
1 piece tomato
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7. Rinse the red lentils under cold water until it runs mostly clear, then place the lentils in the slow cooker with the chicken thighs.
8 piece chicken thighs, bone-in skinless,
0.8 cup red lentils
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8. Transfer the cooked masala and aromatics from the skillet into the slow cooker, scraping in all the paste, then add the water, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine and coat the chicken and lentils.
2.5 cup water,
2 tsp salt,
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
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9. In a small bowl, soak the tamarind pulp in hot water, mash to extract the pulp, then strain to obtain the tamarind soaking water and pour it into the slow cooker, discarding any solids.
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (seedless),
0.5 cup tamarind soaking water (from pulp)
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10. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender, the lentils have broken down, and the gravy is thick and deeply colored.
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11. Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice, adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed, and let the curry cook uncovered on high for about 15 minutes to slightly thicken and meld flavors.
0.8 cup coconut milk (thick),
1 tsp salt,
1 tbsp lime juice
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12. Gently stir the curry to ensure the lentils are evenly distributed around the chicken, then garnish with torn fresh cilantro leaves and serve hot with rice or flatbreads.
0.5 cup fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)
