For The Freezer: Chicken Massaman Curry

I'm still eating that delicious "pie" from last night - albeit without the kale I think tonight - I've got some microwave vegetable "layer" thing to finish off instead. I have still cooked today, but for the freezer - basically I make my own ready-meals in the slow-cooker now and again and then it means I'm less likely to eat crap when knackered. The first real rule of Ehlers-Danlos (and many other disabilities) is to use energy/pain-free-time when you have it to prepare in advance for times when you don't - hence, I have time and energy today, so I'm cooking ready for those days when I don't.

I'm making massaman curry - well, my bastardisation of a Thai bastardisation of a Malay curry - using chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes. The potatoes are about 1/3rd Roseval as I need to use them up and 2/3rds Anya as that's what was on offer today in Sainsbury's. I also picked up some sweet potatoes of the Murasaki variety, which have purple skins and bright, white flesh, and put some into the mix to bulk it out, along with some cooked green lentils and various "on offer" things like courgettes.

The curry paste for this recipe was made with my own fair hand and is one that has lived in my head for so many years now that I honestly don't know where it came from or how many changes I have made along the way to it but it always seems to work.

Massaman Curry Paste
(Makes about 200mL - keeps in the fridge for a few weeks)

1/4 cup unsalted, unseasoned peanuts (the baking kind)
1/4 cup dry-roasted, seasoned peanuts (the snacking kind)
3 "echalion" shallots (cut into 4)
6 cloves of garlic (peeled)
2 naga chillies (chopped, seeds intact)
1 medium heat chilli (chopped, seeds intact)
1" length of ginger (or galangal)
1 lemongrass stalk (I used freeze-dried)
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1" length of cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp whole cloves
4 green cardamon pods
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp molasses sugar
50g sachet of creamed coconut (melted in hot water)

Grind the dried spices in a pestle and mortar and add to all of the other ingredients in a bowl and blend into a paste.

Massaman Curry
(Serves 6, probably)

1 quantity of massaman curry paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp olive oil
400g chicken breast chunks (thigh meat would be much better!)
250mL pre-made chicken stock
300g carton of cooked green lentils in water
3 small courgettes
1 yellow pepper (I used a pointy one)
500g potatoes (cut into thick slices)
2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 handful of fresh coriander (leaves separated from stalks and stalks torn into pieces)
1 lime (zested and juiced)
1 dried bay leaf
1 small onion (diced)
400g can coconut milk

Heat the oil in a slow-cooker set to about 140°C and fry the onion and the curry paste for 1 minute then add the chicken and lightly cook it until white/brown over most of the outside.

Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, courgettes and pepper and mix well to coat everything in the paste. Add the torn coriander stalks, lentils and their water and stock and mix thoroughly. Add the turmeric and coconut milk and mix thoroughly before adding the bay leaf and putting the lid on and cooking for about 6-8h until the meat is tender and the potatoes are cooked. Add the lime zest and juice and the coriander leaves and mix well and either serves immediately or distribute into containers and freeze.