• 1/2 medium chicken, cut into parts (remove as much of the skin as possible)
• 2-3 kaffir lime leaves (purchased frozen at Asian stores), OR substitute 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 cinnamon stick (OR substitute 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
• fresh basil and coriander/cilantro for garnish

• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 shallots OR 1/2 cup purple onion, sliced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. tomato ketchup, OR tomato paste + 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
• 2 heaping tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian stores)
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed dried chili

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• optional: 1/2 to 1 eggplant, chopped into bite-size pieces (leave skin on)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place chicken pieces in a fairly large casserole dish.
3. Place all curry sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well.
4. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken. Stir well, so that each of the chicken pieces is covered with sauce.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves (or lime juice) and cinnamon, mixing these into the sauce.
6. Cover and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Remove dish from the oven. Add the vegetables and stir them into the sauce. Return the curry to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is well cooked.
8. Do a taste test. If the sauce isn't salty enough, add more fish sauce (1 Tbsp. at a time). If it's too sour, add a little more brown sugar. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. If not spicy enough: add a few fresh-cut chilies or dried chili flakes/cayenne pepper.
9. Dish the curry into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle generously with fresh basil and coriander/cilantrol, and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. ENJOY

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