Yannick Cam's Curry Chicken

• 8 small red dried chilies
• 2 slices dried laos or galangal (see note)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon grass (see note)
• 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (see note)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 2 chicken breasts, split, skinned, boned and cut in thin strips
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 12 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (see note)
• 1 lime leaf, slivered, or 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 teaspoon Vietnamese fermented fish sauce, nuoc mam (see note)
• Steamed rice

1. Cover the chilies and the laos with hot water and soak about 30 minutes, until soft.
2. Place the chilies and one piece of the laos in a food processer or blender along with the lemon grass, cardamom, cumin, coriander, shrimp paste, peppercorns and shallots.
3. Process to a fine paste.
4. Heat a large skillet and add the oil.
5. Add the curry paste, saute a minute or two, then add the chicken strips and stir-fry to separate the chicken pieces.
6. Add the coconut milk.
7. Stir in the remaining piece of laos, the lime leaf and fish sauce.
8. Simmer, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through.
9. Serve with steamed rice.

chilies, lemon grass, ground cardamom, ground cumin, ground coriander, shrimp, black peppercorns, shallots, chicken breasts, peanut oil, coconut milk, lime leaf, fish sauce, rice

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6051 (may not work)