Ingredients

· 400 g chicken pieces

· 2 eschallots, chopped

· 4 garlic cloves

· 1 piece chopped ginger

· 3-4 long red chillies, roughly chopped

· 1 tablespoon tomato paste

· 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

· 1 lemongrass, white part only halved lengthwise

· 1 cinnamon quill

· 2-3 star anise

· ¼ cup grated palm sugar

· 1 tablespoon fish sauce

· 400 ml coconut cream

· 300 g baby potatoes

· 100 g snake beans

· 1 tablespoon lime juice

· Crispy eschallots, to serve

· Steamed rice, to serve

Method

Place the eschallots, garlic, ginger, red chillies and shrimp paste in a food processor and blend to a fine paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the lemon grass, cinnamon, star anise, palm sugar, fish sauce, coconut cream and water and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the snake beans and cook for two minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they are tender. Add the lime juice and stir to combine. Serve the curry topped with chicken, crispy eschallots and curry leaves. Serve with steamed rice.