Kroeung Khmer Chicken (Khmer)

This isn't the first time I tried this recipe, but now I remember why I liked it so much and I'm totally sold out to Khmer cuisine (pronounced ku-mai I think, it's Cambodian cuisine).  If any of you have any good resources (blogs, recipe database, I know a couple YouTube channels) or books that can be found or ordered in Canada about Khmer cuisine, please share with me!

This recipe is a cambodian curry including lemongrass, coconut milk, fish sauce, kafir lime leaves and everything I like.  Like for Thai curries, you have to make a paste first, then the rest is pretty easy.  I had such a hard time making the paste with finely chopped ingredients in a bowl with a stick blender!  It's my birthday tomorrow, so last weekend I went to my mom's and my step dad (who asked my boyfriend what I'd like) bought me my first food processor and it's amazing!  Can't wait for the next time I'll make this chicken curry, it'll be so much easier! But let's go back to these recipes, they are from the book Ginger and Lemongrass by Leemei Tan, a really amazing book if you want to discover a little of all Asian cooking (including India!).  If you try this curry, you won't regret it!  Let's start cooking!

(serves 4)

Kroeung Khmer (curry paste), mix all together in a food processor or mortar:

-1 seeded red chilli, I used a bird's eye but it wasn't really clear which one you should use

-4 garlic cloves

-5 shallots

-white parts of 2 lemongrass stalks

-2cm fresh turmeric, or 1tsp turmeric powder

-2cm galangal

-3 kafir lime leaves

And then...:

-1 recipe of Kroeung Khmer (jthe one you just read before this, if you're not following haha)

-1 small onion, roughly chopped

-600g chicken legs or breasts, deboned, without skin, and cubed into bite-sized pieces

-2 kafir lime leaves

-1 carrot, cut in pieces

-150g/5 1/2 oz. green beans, cut in 2"/5cm lengths

-400mL coconut milk

-2tbsp fish sauce

-1tbsp cane or brown sugar

Cook the onions with a little oil in a large NON-STICK pan on medium/high until translucent.  Add the Kroeung Khmer paste, and roast for about 10 minutes, mixing every once in a while.  

Add the chicken and kafir lime leaves and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and green beans and cook for 3 more minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then add the fish sauce and sugar and mix well.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes on low, or until the beans are cooked and the sauce has thicken.  Serve with rice!