Name: Rahel’s gulai ayam (Indonesian chicken curry)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 12 bone-in chicken thighs; 1 lime juiced; 2 tbsp rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable oil; 3 lemongrass stalks bruised and tied together; 6 lime leaves torn; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cardamom pods seeds crushed; 1 star anise; 2 tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 50g coconut palm sugar (ideally Indonesian), or coconut sugar; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 400ml coconut milk; steamed white rice to serve; 4 garlic cloves; 3 banana shallots or 6 small Asian shallots, peeled; 3-4 large red chillies trimmed; 2½cm piece of ginger peeled; 1cm piece of galangal peeled; 5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts

Rahel’s gulai ayam (Indonesian chicken curry) served with rice

12 bone-in chicken thighs
1 lime
juiced
2 tbsp rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable oil
3 lemongrass stalks
bruised and tied together
6 lime leaves
torn
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
seeds crushed
1 star anise
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
50g coconut palm sugar
(ideally Indonesian), or coconut sugar
1 tsp tamarind paste
400ml coconut milk
steamed white rice
to serve

For the bumbu (spice paste)

4 garlic cloves
3 banana shallots
or 6 small Asian shallots, peeled
3-4 large red chillies
trimmed
2½cm piece of ginger
peeled
1cm piece of galangal
peeled
5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts

Method

step 1
Put the chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper and the lime juice. Set aside.
step 2
For the bumbu, peel the garlic and tip into a medium food processor along with the other ingredients, then blend until smooth.
step 3
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over a medium heat and fry the bumbu spice paste, lemongrass, lime leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and ground spices for about 5 mins, or until fragrant.
step 4
Add the chicken and stir to coat in the spices. Continue cooking for about 2-3 mins, then add the coconut sugar, tamarind and 200ml water. Season, stir and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 mins.
step 5
Tip in the coconut milk and simmer for 15 mins more until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the heat and serve with steamed rice. Once cool, will keep frozen for two months. Defrost thoroughly and reheat until piping hot.