Thai Style Red Chicken Curry

Soak 5-6 red chilli in hot water for an hour.

Chop lemon grass in small pieces. If you don't get them use chopped fresh lemon leave.

To make curry paste take a grinder jar and add in soaked red chillies, ginger-garlic paste, lemon grass,lemon zest, cumin powder, curry powder/coriander powder, sugar, salt and lemon juice.

Grind to a smooth paste with little water. Keep aside. If you like you can also add some chopped coriander stem during grinding. I personally don't like it's taste and hence didn't add.

Take 500 g chicken. I used both bone in and some boneless. You can use only boneless pieces if you like. Chicken with bone gives more flavour to the dish.

I also used some veggies like potato and carrot. You can skip using them or you can use other veggies also you like. I used carrot as it's sweetness help to balance the pungency of the curry.

Heat a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Saute chopped ginger-garlic and red chilli for 15-20 seconds.

Add in chopped onion and cook until they become soft.

Now add in prepared red curry paste and stir well to fry for 2 minutes. Your kitchen will fill with aroma of lemon grass.

Add in 2 tablespoons of water to prevent the spices from burning.

Add in chicken pieces, stir well to mix.

Also add in the potato and carrot pieces, cumin powder, curry powder, turmeric powder and salt.

Stir well so that everything incorporates nicely and then add in 2 cups of hot water.

Cover and cook in medium heat for 30 minutes or until chicken and veggies cook completely.

Open unshaken can of coconut milk. Spoon out 1 tablespoon of thick coconut cream from the top to garnish.Keep aside.

When chicken and veggies cook completely, add in the coconut milk to the curry. Keep flame in low heat so that milk doesn't curdle in hot curry.

Cook the curry in medium heat for further 5 minutes to come to a boil. Adjust seasoning. The taste should be pungent with slight sweetness. Remove from heat.

Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with coconut cream, spring onion and mint leaves.

Serve with some thai jesmine rice.