Rahel’s gulai ayam (Indonesian chicken curry)

Enjoy one of Indonesia’s premier curry dishes, a west Sumatra specialty. You’ll get lost in the deep flavours from the aromatic herbs and spices

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
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 50 g coconut palm sugar (ideally Indonesian), or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 400 ml 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
• 10.5 cm piece of ginger , peeled
• 1 cm piece of galangal , peeled
• 5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts

Steps

1. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper and the lime juice. Set aside.
2. For the bumbu, peel the garlic and tip into a medium food processor along with the other ingredients, then blend until smooth.
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.
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.
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.