Chicken Curry Kapitan

Serves 6

1kg boneless, skinned chicken thighs

2tbsp vegetable oil

2 fat lemongrass stalks

400ml coconut milk

6 kaffir lime leaves

2tsp palm or light muscovado sugar

Juice ½ lime

A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish

Salt

For the kapitan curry paste:

6 dried red kashmiri chillies

4 heaped tbsps desiccated coconut

250g shallots or onions, roughly chopped

6 fat garlic cloves

50g peeled fresh galangal or ginger

2tsp turmeric powder

4 fat lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and core roughly chopped

½ tsp shrimp paste

2tbsp vegetable oil

Steamed rice, to serve

For the kapitan curry paste, cover the dried chillies with boiling hot water and leave them to soak for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the desiccated coconut, and stir it around for a few minutes until lightly golden.

Tip on to a plate and leave to cool, then tip into a mini food processor and grind quite finely.

Drain the red chillies, put them into a mini food processor with the remaining ingredients and the toasted coconut and grind everything into a smooth paste.

Cut the chicken thigh fillets into small chunks. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole or large, deep frying pan over a low heat.

Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Lower the heat slightly, add the spice paste and fry gently for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.

Meanwhile, cut away and discard the top two-thirds of each remaining lemongrass stalk. Bruise the bases with the end of a rolling pin.

Add coconut milk, lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the lime juice and simmer for 1 more minute.

Scatter over the chopped coriander and serve with some steamed rice.