Malaysian Coconut Curry (Kari Ayam)

Serves 2
Ingredients
peanut oil
200g chicken
20 shallots (or 1 big onion)
2cm ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 stick of cinammon bark
curry powder
water
coconut milk
red peppers
red birdseye chillies
green vegetables (I like: pak choi, otherwise zuchinni or eggplant are good choices, as are mushrooms)
limes
salt
Method
Chop up half the shallots, ginger, 2 garlic cloves, and mash them together
Add the chicken, diced; let aside to marinate (ideally for an hour)
Make the curry paste (Mix some water with the curry powder). I usually make about two heaped tablespoons of paste.
Add peanut oil to the wok and heat to a high temperature
Chop up the rest of the shallots, garlic; stir-fry until fragrant
Add the curry paste, keep stirring
Add the chicken. Stir until sealed
Add coconut milk. Reduce heat. Simmer for 20-40 mins, stirring regularly
Add a squeeze of lime juice just before serving
Variation
Chop up a banana and add to the mix after the coconut milk or throw in some slices of mango.
You could also make this a seafood curry, substituting the chicken with prawns, scallops etc (but if you do this, remember to add the seafood at the end of cooking, not at the beginning like you do for the chicken. You don't want it to be tough.)
Don't forget the golden rule of using a wok: the oil should be smoking slightly before using it, otherwise it's too cold!
Malaysian Curry

Malaysian Coconut Curry

Narelle and Yves' Photojournal