Thai Style Yellow Curry Chicken Balls

Ingredients

(serves 6-8)
Chicken Balls

• 1kg chicken thighs, bone out  skin off, minced
• 3  shallots  finely chopped or blended
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 stalks of lemon grass white part only, finely chopped
• 1 inch piece  ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp good quality fish sauce
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped or a pinch of chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Zest  of 1 kaffir lime
• 2 spring onions,  finely sliced
• 1 tsp white  peppercorns crushed
• Salt to taste
• 1 egg (optional)

The Sauce

• 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised
• 1 inch piece fresh turmeric,  scraped and sliced
• 1.5 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and sliced
• 3 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 long red chilli, sliced
• 12 coriander roots, washed and scraped
• 1 inch piece fresh galangal, sliced
• 3-400ml coconut cream
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lime juice to taste
• 12 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 punnet baby corn, sliced into chunks
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
  
  

Method

Chicken Balls

Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls. Heat a large frypan with a little peanut oil, and fry the balls until golden. Set aside.

 The Sauce

In a mortar and pestle  pound the turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, chilli, galangal and coriander roots with a pinch of salt to a paste. Heat  a little oil in a large frypan add the pounded ingredients and  lemongrass, and cook for a few minutes, add the coconut milk and chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves and bring to a simmer. Add the baby corn and the chicken balls. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste, then add the cherry tomatoes. Serve with steamed rice or  fresh rice noodles. Garnish with fresh lime and  coriander leaves and sliced spring onion. Serve with cucumber pickle.