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1
First we prepare the curry paste: place the peanuts in a small saucepan and cover with a generous quantity of water.
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2
Turn stove to high heat, and when boiling, reduce slightly.
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3
Cook at a steady boil for 60 minutes to soften and sweeten.
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4
One at a time, roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, white peppercorns, and freshly grated nutmeg in a small pan over medium-high heat until darkened, but not burnt.
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This should take about a minute (with the exception of the nutmeg, which will take seconds), during which you should stir gently from time-to-time to ensure even roasting.
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6
When finished, grind all the spices together using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
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7
To prepare the lemongrass, remove a couple of the outer leaves.
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8
Chop away the top 2/3rds of the stalk and reserve for lemongrass tea.
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Remove the nub at the bottom.
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Slam the remaining 1/3 of each lemongrass stalk with the blunt edge of a knife along its length to break it somewhat, and then slice it into very thin rounds.
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It is important to slice as thinly as possible, as lemongrass is difficult to break apart when processing the ingredients into curry paste.
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Furthermore, it is the peel (avoiding the pith as best as possible) of the kaffir limes that you want: the actual limes themselves may be used for other purposes.
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13
Add all ingredients to a food processor in approximately the order above (the idea is to have the smaller or oiler ingredients on top to ensure even blending).
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Blend on medium speed for around 5-10 minutes or until desired consistency is reached (the mixture should be resemble a thick paste).
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15
Stir occasionally by hand to help the blending process.
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16
Alternatively, if one does not have a food processor, a blender can be used, or if one is ambitious, preferably, the procedure can be done by hand using a mortar and pestle.
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A food processor often leaves identifiable sliced ingredients, which is not optimal, and slicing as opposed to crushing does not release the maximal amount of flavour.
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18
One good time-saving option is to blend in the food processor and then finish by pounding in a mortar and pestle until a fine paste is achieved.
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19
We now prepare the curry: in a wok over high heat, bring one cup of coconut cream to a rolling boil, and add the curry paste.
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Fry the paste in the cream for five or six minutes, boiling steadily, until the mixture is thick.
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(It is optimal if the oil separates from the coconut cream during this process; however, this is unlikely to happen in canned creams as they may have been homogenized.
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This can be assisted by adding one tbsp of, preferably, palm oil, or alternatively, vegetable oil to the cream.)
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Add the fish sauce, lime leaves, and sugar, and stir for one minute or until sugar is entirely dissolved.
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24
Add some more coconut cream to thin the mixture slightly, and mix in the chicken and allow to cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.
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25
Add the remaining coconut cream (you may use more than the two cups for a thinner curry) and stir, returning to a boil.
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26
Add the peanuts, the red pepper, and the chillies if using, and cook for one more minute.
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Stir in the basil and remove from heat.
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28
Garnish with lime wedges, sprigs of Thai basil, red pepper slivers, shredded lime leaves, or a couple tablespoons of coconut cream.
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29
Serve immediately with jasmine rice or fresh rice noodles that have been boiled for about 10-20 seconds.
