Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
600 g chicken thighs, boned and cut into 2.5cm cubes
150 ml chicken stock
2 stalks lemon grass, bruised
2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
125 ml coconut cream
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper to taste
Lime (calamansi) juice
Spiced paste:
1 tablespoon coriander (cilantro) seeds, roasted
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon white peppercorns
25 g candlenuts, roasted and crushed
30 g galangal (laos), peeled and sliced
60 g shallots, peeled and sliced
30 g garlic, peeled and sliced
15 g palm sugar, chopped
Directions:
Prepare spice paste. Combine coriander, cumin and white peppercorns in a stone mortar or a blender (processor) and grind until very fine, then add all remaining ingredients and grind into a fine paste. Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Add spice paste and sauté until fragrant. Add chicken cubes and continue to sauté until they are evenly coated with spice paste and their color has changed. Add stock, lemon grass and salam leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add coconut cream, return to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes more or until sauce thickens and chicken is tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add a generous squeeze of lime juice before serving. Should sauce thicken too much during cooking, add splashes of stock to thin it down.
