Kari Ayam

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg chicken thigh fillet, cut into bite size pieces
½ kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
100g fresh red medium chillies, seeded
100g shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
25g garlic cloves, peeled
5 candlenuts
40g fresh turmeric, sliced
15g ginger, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying the curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
25g galangal, roughly chopped
1 litre coconut milk
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
2 tsp dried ground coriander
1 tsp fennel seeds, roasted, then ground
1 cinnamon quill
1 whole nutmeg, crushed
5 cloves
15g shrimp paste, roasted and crushed
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp sugar

PREPARATION

To make curry paste, blend chillies, shallots, garlic, candlenuts and turmeric with oil until smooth.

In a hot pan, heat a little vegetable oil and fry curry paste until it darkens in colour.

Add lemongrass, galangal and coconut milk and then cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, crushed nutmeg, cloves and shrimp paste.

Add salt and sugar.

Bring to boil then add chicken and potatoes. Simmer gently until chicken and potatoes are tender. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with a little water.

Garnish with a sprinkle of fried shallots and serve