South East Asian Chicken Curry

South East Asian Chicken Curry

A very fresh and easy to make chicken curry which is bursting with aromatic flavours.  This curry is always a winner!

Serves 6

Prep time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

For the curry paste

6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

5 long, red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped

3 lemon grass stalks, trimmed with the outer leaves removed and chopped

5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped

5 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp groundnut oil

2 tbsp groundnut oil

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1kg chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anise

400ml coconut milk

100ml chicken stock

1 tsp palm sugar (or soft brown sugar)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce

400g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths

Handful of coriander, finely chopped to serve

Jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1.  To make the curry paste, put the garlic, chillies, lemon grass, ginger, shallots and turmeric in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Trickle in the groundnut oil and blend, scrape the sides of the processor.

2.  To make the curry, heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan or wok. Tip in the curry paste and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are softened.

3.  Season the chicken pieces and add to the pan and stir to coat them in the curry paste. Add the lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, coconut milk, stock, sugar, soy and fish sauces and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 30–40 minutes until the chicken is tender.

4.  Cook the rice as per packet instructions.  Skim the excess oil from the surface of the curry. Season to taste.  Add the beans, put the lid on and cook for another 3–4 minutes until the beans are tender. Scatter the coriander leaves over the curry and serve with the rice.