Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)

Cuisine, July/August 1979

2 hours — 6 Servings

Ingredients

1⁄4	cup	macadamia nuts
1	tablespoon	coriander seeds
3	tablespoon	vegetable oil
1⁄4	cup	water
5		citrus leaves
3		bay leaves
2	cup	coconut milk
1		whole chicken (about 3 pounds – cut up)
1⁄2	cup	red chili peppers (minced and seeded)
1⁄2	cup	shallots (minced)
1	small	white onion (minced)
2		lemongrass stalks (lightly pounded)
3⁄4	pound	carrots (pared and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces)
10	small	red potatoes (pared)

Instructions

Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towel in; sprinkle with salt. Grind nuts and coriander seeds in mortar with pestle. Add peppers, shallots and onion; grind to a paste. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over low heat; add paste. Stir-fry until paste turns dark reddish brown and solids separate from oil, about 10 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup water if needed to thin paste. Add citrus and bay leaves, lemongrass and chicken to paste; sauté chicken over low heat, turning frequently, 5 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes; sauté 5 minutes. Stir coconut milk 1/4 cup at a time in the spice mixture. (Stir constantly to keep milk from curdling.) Simmer uncovered over very low heat, stirring gently and basting chicken frequently, until chicken is tender, about 1 hour 20 min. Remove and discard lemongrass and citrus and Davies.