Slow cooker chicken curry

With tender chicken marylands and creamy coconut milk, it hits all the right notes. Serve with our coconut rice to soak up the flavours.

Ingredients

3 stalks lemongrass, chopped coarsely

6cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled, chopped

4 fresh long red chillies, seeded, chopped

8 shallots, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil

4 chicken marylands (1.4kg), skin removed

1 cup (250ml) coconut milk

3cm piece galangal or ginger, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons tamarind puree

8 makrut lime leaves

fried shallots and coriander leaves, to serve

Method

Process lemongrass, turmeric, chilli, shallots, garlic and salt in a food processor to form a paste.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook spice paste, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until fragrant and dry.

Transfer spice mixture to a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker. Add chicken; toss until well coated in spice mixture. Add ½ cup (125ml) coconut milk, 1 cup (250ml) water, galangal, tamarind and lime leaves. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours.

Stir remaining coconut milk into curry.

Serve curry topped with fried shallots and coriander leaves.

Key ingredients in this chicken curry

Serve this slow cooker chicken curry with coconut rice, fried shallots, coriander leaves and lime wedges.

Chicken marylands: Whole chicken legs with the thigh and drumstick attached, marylands are perfect for slow cooking until juicy and tender.

Coconut milk: Creamy, rich and subtly sweet, it mellows the heat in this curry.

Lemongrass: A tall, clumping, lemon-smelling and -tasting, sharp-edged aromatic tropical grass; the white lower part of the stem is used, finely chopped, in many South-East Asian dishes.

Turmeric: Fresh turmeric must be grated or pounded to release its acrid aroma and pungent flavour.

Long red chillies: Available both fresh and dried; long red chillies is a generic term used for any moderately hot, long chilli.

Galangal or ginger: These aromatic roots that add warmth and zing; galangal is punchier, while ginger brings a familiar spiciness.

Tamarind puree: A thick and purple-black paste with a sweet-sour, slightly astringent taste.

Makrut lime leaves: Sold fresh, dried or frozen, it looks like two glossy dark green leaves joined end to end, forming a rounded hourglass shape. If you can’t find fresh makrut lime leaves, substitute it with a strip of fresh lime peel for each makrut lime leaf.