Curried Chicken Siam - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium green pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons snipped cilantro
1 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 -3 red dried anaheim chiles or 1 -3 california chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces or 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 cups hot cooked rice
1 (8 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

Preparation

Remove stems and seeds from chili peppers. Place in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand about 15 minutes or until softened. Drain. Chop chili peppers. Set aside.
Meanwhile, for spice mixture, in a small bowl combine cilantro, lime peel, lemon grass or lemon peel, ginger, salt, nutmeg, cumin, and coriander. Set aside.
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add onions; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add spice mixture; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add chicken; stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until no pink remains. Discard lemongrass, if used.
Add coconut milk, bamboo shoots, sweet pepper, and the chili peppers. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more or until heated through. Stir in basil. If desired, arrange cucumber slices around the rim of a serving plate. Add meat mixture to plate. Serve immediately with hot cooked rice.