Dry Chicken and Coconut Curry

In Asia, coconut is used extensively in cooking. It add an exotic flavour to a multitude of dishes. Although it is normally used to create a sumptuous creamy sauce, here it creates quite a dry sauce, which richly coats the chicken. Serve with the ubiquitous rice and chutneys or sambals of your choice.

Ingredients:
500g chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces on the bone
400ml tin of coconut milk

For the curry paste:
1 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
grated zest of 1 lime
1 piece of salted anchovy
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander stalks and leaves, reserving some leaves for garnish
3 shallots, chopped and peeled
1 stalk of lemon grass, chopped
2 fresh long thin green chillies, chopped
3ml caraway seeds, crushed
3ml coriander seeds, crushed

Method:

Put all the ingredients for the curry paste into a mini-blender ad whiz to a smooth paste.

Heat the coconut milk in a heavy-based saucepan and add the chicken. Bring to a simmer and gently simmer until the chicken is tender. If during this process the coconut milk gets too thick, add a little water.

When the chicken is nearly cooked, stir in the curry paste and continue cooking gently until the chicken is coated with the sauce and is really quite dry.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with accompaniments of your choice.