Chicken Laksa Curry

Chicken Laksa Curry

The Vietnamese store in town stocks bottles of Laksa paste manufactured in Thailand.  The main ingredients are onion, garlic, galanga, shrimp paste, peanuts and coconut milk.   It's already cooked and I've added it to Ramen noodles or noodle soup for a delicious lunch on a number of occasions.  Today I decided to use it in a chicken dish, similar to Burmese Chicken Sipyan.

Ingredients
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up
2 Tbsp. Laksa paste
2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 large russet potato, cut into bite-size pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 tsp. Shah Jeera or cumin seeds
1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in Laksa, ginger and garlic pastes for 15 minutes.
2. In a saucepan heat 2 Tbsp. oil over high heat and sputter cumin seeds, cinnamon and star anise.
3. Add onions and potatoes, lower heat to medium, cook potatoes until done and set aside.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in the same saucepan, add tomatoes and chicken along with marinade. Stir well.  
5. Simmer chicken until oil resurfaces, add cooked potatoes and onions and simmer for ten minutes.
6. Adjust salt to taste and remove from heat.
7. Garnish with ghee and serve with hot, cooked rice.