For the paste (recipe adapted from BBC.co.uk)
Makes one jar
Ingredients:
15 dried red chillies (I used a few fresh ones 15 seemed too much for me, not all of them in the photo)
1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tbsp cumin seeds, ground
1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
1/2tbsp ground cloves
½ tbsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp garlic, chopped
4 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 heaped tsp shrimp paste
1tbspn lemongrass grounded or 1-2 sticks chopped
1 tsp galangal root, chopped
4-5 tbsp fish sauce
Method:
If you use dried: Soak the chillies in water for 10 minutes and then deseed.
Dry-fry the dry spices in a wok to release the flavours and then grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar or in a processor/blender.
Add all the other ingredients and grind or blitz to a fine paste.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.
For the curry (recipe adapted from BBCgoodfood)
Serves 4
Ingredients
85g unsalted peanuts
400ml can coconut cream
4 tbsp massaman curry paste or more to taste
1000g chicken filets, cut into large chunks
450g waxy potatoes, cut into 2½ cm chunks
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 kaffir lime leaves (i used lime rind as I couldn’t find it)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp palm or soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
Method:
Roast the peanuts in a dry frying pan, until golden, chop them lighlty when cool enough to handle.
Heat 2 tbsp coconut cream in a large casserole dish with a lid. Add the curry paste and fry for 1 min.
then stir in the chicken and fry until well coated and sealed. Stir in the rest of the coconut with half a can of water, the potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 2 hrs on low heat until the meat is tender.
Serve with rice and sprinkles of the remaining peanuts
Photos Gardeninglady
