Thai Red Curry With Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

None None For the Thai Red Curry Paste (makes enough for 2 curry recipes)
1 stem fresh lemongrass, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
7-10 None red chilies, seeded and chopped
2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 None shallots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp Thai shrimp paste
None None Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 tsp paprika
None None Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 pinch ground cinnamon
None None For the Chicken Curry
1 lb skinless chicken breasts
1 None (15-oz) can coconut milk (do not shake can)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 None quantity Thai red curry paste
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2-1 tbsp Thai fish sauce or salt to taste
None None Deep-fried basil leaves and thinly sliced red chile, to garnish
None None Jasmine rice, to serve

Preparation

To make the curry paste, place the lemongrass, garlic, chilis, ginger, shallots, shrimp paste, lime zest, and spices in a food processor with 1/2 tsp salt and 6 tbsp cold water. Blend to a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
To make the chicken curry, cut the chicken into chunks. Skim 4 tbsp thick cream from the top of the coconut milk. Set aside. Pour the rest into a pan; stir until smooth. Add the chicken. Simmer very gently for 5-7 minutes until cooked. Do not boil.
Place oil and reserved coconut cream in a separate pan. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Add the Thai red curry paste. Stir-fry until the oil has separated from the paste. Stir in the sugar and the Thai fish sauce.
Add the chicken and coconut milk to the pan . Simmer the mixture gently for 1 minute. Spoon into a warm dish. Top with the deep-fried basil leaves and thinly sliced red chili. Serve with freshly cooked jasmine rice.