Ingredients

For the spice paste

• 6 dried red chillies, preferably Kashmiri, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained
• 75g/2¾oz shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 fat lemongrass stalks, hard outer leaves removed, soft inner core chopped
• 40g/1½oz garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers)
• 25g/1oz galangal or root ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the chicken

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 x 1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised with a rolling pin then cut in half lengthways
• 4 lime leaves
• 200ml/7fl oz water
• 1 tsp palm sugar (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers; substitute golden caster sugar if unavailable)
• 1 lime, juice only
• salt, to taste

Recipe tips

Method

1. For the spice paste, blend all of the spice paste ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.

2. For the chicken, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the chicken pieces and fry until pale golden-brown all over.

3. Add the spice paste to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

4. Add the bruised lemongrass stalks, lime leaves and water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over now and again, until the chicken pieces are completely cooked through and the volume of liquid has reduced by about a half. (NB: The chicken pieces are cooked through when the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part with a skewer.)

5. When the chicken is cooked through, stir in the palm sugar and lime juice and season, to taste, with salt.

6. Serve immediately in serving bowls.